A Light in the Darkness
by malpal
Summary: A pregnant woman searches for safety, will she find it in the protective arms of our favorite mercenary? And will, with the help of Shepherd Book, find something she's been missing her whole life? A story of faith and love.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer – I do not own Firefly/Serenity or any of the great characters. I only own my character.**

**Chapter One**

Rozalyn gazed out the open window with a look of longing towards the sky. She wished to be a part of the great big black and secretly yearned for adventure. She could picture herself helping people, saving them from hunger, disease, and outlaws. She giggled softly when she caught an image of herself galloping swiftly on horseback, running from dangerous cowboys.

It was funny because she knew she could never do the things she pictured. With a hand on her growing belly she caressed the place in which her baby lay. She wanted this baby with every fiber of her being, but she wanted out of this dump and far away from the man who claimed her as his wife, without bothering to put a ring on her finger. She wanted to be in a place where her baby could be safe and away from the abuse she received every night. With a touch to her cut lip, a tear trailed down the side of her face and landed with a plop to the dirty floor where she spent many of her nights.

_**fireflyfireflyfireflyfirefly**_

Rozalyn endured the pain every night as the evil man (whom she never addressed by name) slapped her around, aiming most of _his_ punches at her face. Most men would try to hide the abuse, but not this one, _he_ relished in her walking around town with fresh bruises marring her porcelain white features. "This lets everyone know that you're mine," _he_ would say after he finished hitting her.

Afterwards Roz crawled to her corner and wrapped her shaking arms around her legs sobbing silently into her chest. The only way she could cope with _him_ hitting her was because she knew she would be leaving. Tomorrow morning after _he_ left for work she would slip out like she always did and go to the market. _He_ thought she would be too stupid to try and leave _him_; after all she didn't have any money. What _he_ didn't know, because _he_ was often too drunk to care, was that she had been skimming a few coins from _his_ paycheck for the past six months. She figured she had enough to get a ride on one of those ships she always saw docked on the far side of the market.

In the darkness of the cold room, the sounds of _him_ snoring in the distant, and the stench of beer staining the walls Rozalyn smiled to herself…freedom was on the tips of her fingers and she vowed not to let it go.

_**fireflyfireflyfireflyfirefly**_

The next morning, Roz woke from a deep sleep; her first motion of the day was to a lay a soft hand on her expansive belly. She instantly felt more calm and determined about getting away from him. She rose and immediately began to prepare _his_ breakfast. Roz never fixed more than _he_ could eat, always waiting until _he_ was gone to fix her own food. She had learned from the mistake when _he_ caught her eating while fixing _his_ food; _he_ nearly choked her to death when _he_ tried stuffing the eggs down her throat. "You don't get to eat before me. You hear me girl?"

Roz shuddered at the bad memory as she focused on the task at hand. Piling the eggs and toast onto a plate she carried the breakfast into the room where _he_ lay passed out on the couch. She set the plate before _his_ nose, allowing the smell to wake _him_ up. Once _he_ started to stir, she set the plate on the floor and took a large step back, out of the range of flailing fists.

"Whazza…Huhhh…?" _He_ mumbled unintelligibly as _he_ sat up, rubbing the sleep out of _his_ eye. Reaching down to grab the plate from the floor, _he_ began to shovel the food into _his_ mouth in a disgusting manner. Roz had to shut her eyes to keep from vomiting at the sight.

"Coffe!" _He_ yelled at her as _he_ threw the licked-clean plate directly at her belly. She side stepped in just enough to time as to miss the projectile. Roz scurried into the kitchen and hastily made the coffee bringing it to _him_ as soon as it was ready.

"Should have had it ready girl," _He_ grumbled nastily hitting the back of her head when she bent down to give _him_ the cup.

"Sorry," she mumbled and took a step back. It only took a minute for _him_ to down the coffee. _He_ stood up and began to tuck in _his _shirt and slick back _his_ hair, trying to make _himself_ appear more presentable for work.

"I'm off to work, you make sure and get some good food from the market and not the crap you normally get." _He_ tossed her a few coins which she knew would barely get them bread and cheese. "Make sure you get the bottle of good stuff this time."

Before she could move out of _his_ range, _he_ grabbed her by the hair and pulled her towards _him_. _He_ swooped down and placed _his_ rough and cracked lips on her own, inserting _his_ disgusting tongue inside her mouth and began to paw at her breasts. Roz knew better than to struggle because _he_ only liked it more, she had to fight back her revulsion and remain as limp as possible. After pinching her chest, _he_ let her go, quickly enough she nearly lost her balance and fell to the floor.

"Now be a good girl, you hear?" _He_ grabbed Roz's shoulder tightly; digging into the soft tendons she couldn't help but let out a soft whimper. _He_ reared _his_ hand back and punched her hard in the mouth. This time she did fall to the floor clutching her mouth. _He_ always hurt her in some way before leaving, letting the townspeople see the newest damage. She was always amazed at the way _he_ hit though, _he_ knew not to hit her directly in the mouth so that she would lose teeth, (because that would be unsightly) but just enough to crack open her lip and make it swell.

She stayed on the floor long enough for _him_ to leave. Letting one tear slide down her cheek Roz cursed herself for letting it go this far. She should have left earlier. The only reason she waited as long as she did because she was searching for the right boat to take her away. She had heard Serenity, captained by Malcolm Reynolds, would be docking today. The townspeople talked freely amongst themselves, not worrying that Roz was listening because who would she tell? From what she heard, Captain Reynolds was no friend of the Alliance but tried to get by as best he could. He was supposed to be a fair and just man and stood up for his people. In Roz's mind, he sounded like the perfect person to take her away from the planet that held no fond memories…save for her baby.

Using the dust and dirt covered couch to help her stand, she picked up the coins he had thrown at her and tucked them into her pocket. Next she carefully walked to the corner, looking down at the floorboards as she counted silently to herself; when she counted the twelfth board, she knelt down and gently prodded at the old wood and it slid out of its place, hidden beneath the floor laid a small bag of coins, enough to buy her freedom.

She gathered all her things, which didn't amount to very much, and stuffed them into an old haggard bag. Before leaving Roz stared into the handheld mirror her mother had given her before she left, the one thing _he_ hadn't taken, mainly because she had it hidden away. Grimacing at what she saw, Roz deftly tried to finger comb her long red curly hair into something that looked respectable. There really was no way to hide the dark bruise around her eye, her swollen cracked lip, or the way she limped after being kicked in the knee the other night. Closing her green eyes and putting the mirror away, she only hoped this would be the last of the bruises. She vowed never to let any man hurt her the way he did.

Working up her courage, Roz threw the bag of her belongings over her shoulder and stepped out of the dark cottage. Shielding her eyes from the bright sun, she shut the door tightly behind her and walked away from the hellish home. Roz told herself that even if she didn't manage to get on the Serenity she wouldn't be returning to _him_.

Winding her way through the cluster of people in the market, Roz strived to maintain a normal appearance. Many people stopped to greet her, attempting to be nice to her even though it sickened Roz. They would be nice and sweet to her face but they did nothing to keep her from being battered every morning and night. Roz forced herself to plaster on a smile and if anyone asked about the bag she had, she told them _he_ wanted her to sell a few things at the market.

While trying to peruse what the stalls had to offer in terms of food and other products, she also kept one eye out on the ships. Roz's sharp eye looked for a name on each boat, hoping and praying she would spot the Serenity. As she walked, she bought a few things along the way, in part to keep from looking suspicious and it also might make her look like a better candidate to board the ship if she had something other than money to offer.

After walking for nearly a half hour, Roz had started to lose faith. She had yet to spot the Serenity and she had almost come to the end of the long line of ships. Just as she was about to turn back around and choose the boat that looked the most reputable she heard something off to her right.

"Mal, this is Simon. Simon, this is our captain." Roz spotted a woman around her age with light brown hair, grease on her cheek, and a bright warm smile talking to a group of men.

A young dark haired man in well made clothes bowed slightly to an older man "Captain Reynolds."

"Captain Reynolds," Roz spoke softly to herself. _This must be it_. At the moment she spotted her freedom…she froze. It was as if her body was rebelling against her mind to get off the planet. She knew she wouldn't get a better chance than this, and it looked as if they were about to leave soon. Roz couldn't have asked for a more opportune moment.

"Welcome aboard," Captain Reynolds nodded in greeting. Simon walked away towards the blonde man who was loading the luggage onto the ship. He seemed awfully concerned about a large box he owned given that he was barking orders about how it was to be handled.

Roz managed to get her legs to work and started to walk towards the last three people who were standing outside the ship, the girl, Captain Reynolds, and a fierce large man who stood looking at the surroundings with his hand on his gun that lay low on his hip. It was the larger man who spotted her first as she grew closer.

"This all we got?" Captain Reynolds asked the girl as he pointed a thumb towards the ship.

"Is there still room aboard?" Roz heard a small voice ask and was appalled to find out it was her own. Just because there were two strong man standing before her, didn't mean she had to act in the submissive way she always did with _him_.

Captain Reynolds eyed her up and down, taking special note of her bruises and the large belly. Roz ducked her head and shakily pushed an errant strand of hair behind her ear. She knew she didn't look like much being very short, very pale, very battered, and very pregnant.

"Sorry, we don't allow pregnant ladies on board, ship policy," Captain Reynolds stated as he stood up attempting to look more imposing. It was all ruined as the girl to his right elbowed him in the side causing him to lean over slightly and rub his ribs. The man on his left even looked at him with a glare as if he couldn't believe the captain would turn away a pregnant woman.

"Please," Roz hesitated before coming forward. "I have money," she fumbled in her pocket for the bag of coins and held it out to Captain Reynolds. "You can have it all. I also have food that I'm willing to share with rest of the group. I can cook and clean. I won't be a problem, you won't even know I'm there. Please…I can't stay here any longer. My baby and I can't stay here with…_him_."

Roz looked down in shame, wishing she hadn't been put in the present position. She wished that she had been born to someone else, someone who loved and cherished her, who wouldn't have sold her to _him_.

Captain Reynolds squared his jaw and looked behind him towards his ship. "Fine, but you stay out of my crew's way."

"Oh, of course, thank you, thank you so much," she smiled with tears in her eyes. Roz reached down to pick up her bag, not realizing she had set it down because it became too hard to lift.

"Stop…you don't need to be pickin' up heavy objects in your condition. Jayne," Captain Reynolds indicated the bag Roz needed taking in and he turned away.

The large man, Jayne, stood awkwardly before her. He shifted his weight between his feet as if unsure how to go about his duties. Normally Roz was terrified of men who dwarfed her, which was nearly every man, but this man seemed to be more like an overgrown boy. Sure, he seemed like the type who could kill a man in a second, but he also didn't appear like the woman beating type. Logically she knew that not every man beat on women, but it was a hard thing to wrap her mind around after years of physical abuse.

"Ma'am," he tilted his head towards her as he reached for her bag.

"Oh, you really don't have to do that," Roz shrugged off as she pulled the bag onto her shoulder with a huff. "I'm sure you…you have better things to do than carry one small bag."

"It's no problem," Jayne rumbled out gruffly with a large shrug of his shoulders. He made a grab for the bag but saw her wince at his oncoming hand. Quickly dropping his hand he looked down at the ground. "Ma'am, I'm not goin' to hurt ya. I would just like to take the bag for ya."

"Oh…all right then," Roz tentatively pulled the bag off her shoulder and passed it to Jayne. "I'm sorry," she spoke softly as she followed him up the ramp and into the ship.

"No need t'apologize," Jayne shook his head. "But I don't beat on women and neither does the rest of the crew…you're safe here."

Roz let his comments sink in, and although he seemed awkward with the comforting words, probably more used to threatening people, he seemed sincere. She looked up to thank him but he was already gone.

**A/N: I've always been a big fan of this show and have had this story in the works for a long time. I'm nearly finished with it so I will be able to regularly update. I'm very excited in the direction of the story. You will be seeing two different sides of Jayne, the one we all know and love the crazy, gun wielding, mercenary; and the one who is a little more gentle. We may even see more of a combination of the two Jaynes. I take a lot from the show but there are still going to be many moments that are created since I have added a new character. Please review and let me know what you think! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Firefly characters. There are lines taken exclusively from the series, which I do not own (sadly).**

**Chapter Two**

The crew mingled in with the boarders for a moment as the ship began to lift off. Roz stood off by herself and looked out one of the windows as the ship pushed off the planet and soared into the sky. She continued to watch until she could no longer see her home, could no longer feel _his_ cold prison.

"Sad to see it go?" a voice asked from behind.

Whirling around Roz plastered herself against the wall; dread closing itself around her until she could barely breathe. She didn't know why the voice startled her so much, maybe because she had been thinking about _him_ when it happened. Roz looked into the wide eyes of the girl she first saw helping the boarders onto the ship and instantly felt embarrassed. "I'm sorry, you just startled me," Roz smiled tentatively.

"No, that's my fault," the girl gestured frantically. "I should know better than sneak up on people. Mal doesn't like it much neither."

"Mal?" Roz asked as she cocked her head to the side.

"Oh, Captain Malcolm Reynolds, most of us call him Mal," the girl smiled with a shrug. "The name's Kaylee Frye by the way."

Kaylee stuck out her hand and Roz couldn't help but be lured in by her infectious attitude. "Rozalynn Bennett."

"Nice to meet you Miss Bennett."

"Oh, just Roz is fine," she replied, recoiling at being greeted so formally. If only they knew what a pile of dung heap she had lived in. _They probably can tell, look at how I'm dressed_. Roz stared down at her tattered brown pants and old gray T-shirt, at least she had a lumpy green sweater that helped hide some of the holes in her shirt.

"Shiny! It's nice to meet you Roz, you can just call me Kaylee. We're pretty informal round here. Did you get a chance to meet the other crew members?"

"No, just Captain Reynolds and Jayne," Roz replied.

"Oh, you met Jayne already?" Kaylee asked turning to look around as if she feared he was lurking behind her. "You might just want to stay away from Jayne. He's not all that used to people…a bit uncivilized."

"All right," Roz said after a moment. Even though she was silently thinking that he seemed all right to her. Sometimes it was easier to show a different side to strangers, maybe he wasn't as scary as everyone would like to think, but then again she thought _he _seemed like a nice guy before she was sold to _him_.

"Let's see, there's…"

"Ahh-Hemm, if you could all gather round," Captain Reynolds gestured to the group. He climbed a set of stairs so he could be seen better and looked around to make sure everyone was paying attention.

"We'll talk later," Kaylee whispered with a smile and made her way to the bottom of the stairs to look up at the Captain.

"Meals are taken up here in the dining area. Kitchen's pretty much self-explanatory. You're welcome to eat what there is any time. What there is is pretty standard fare…protein in all the colors of the rainbow. We do have sit down meals, next one being at about 1800."

"I think Shepherd Book and Roz have offered to help me prepare something," Kaylee replied looking at her and a man who wore his gray hair back in a short ponytail and bland garbs.

Captain Reynolds eyed the older gentleman, "you're a shepherd."

He smiled, "I thought the outfit gave it away. Is it a problem?"

"Of course not. It's not a problem…" Kaylee smiled looking between the two men "cause it's not."

Captain Reynolds looked to Kaylee and Shepherd Book before responding, "No. As I said you're welcome to visit the dining area anytime. Apart from that I have to ask you to stay in the passenger dorm while we're in the air. The bridge, engine room, cargo bay…they're all off limits without an escort."

"Some of my personal effects are in the cargo bay," the well dressed man, Simon, spoke.

"I figure you all got luggage you're gonna need. Soon as we're done here we'll be happy to fetch 'em with you. Now, I have to tell you all one other thing and I apologize in advance for the inconvenience. Unfortunately, we've been ordered by the Alliance to drop some medical supplies off on Whitefall. It's the fourth moon on Athens. It's a little out of our way, but we should have you on Boros no more than a day off schedule."

At the mention of the Alliance, Roz shivered, using her hands to warm up her arms. He worked for the Alliance, she hoped that being on the ship and getting to one of the out-lying planets she would be safe from the Alliance's reach.

"What medical supplies?" Simon asked.

Captain Reynolds looked down at Simon with ill concealed distaste. "I honestly didn't ask."

"Probably plasma, insulin…whatever they ain't got enough of on the border moons." A black woman to the Captain's side stepped in to answer the question. She was a beautiful strong woman and Roz wished that she had an ounce of her presence.

"Alliance says jump…" Captain Reynolds shrugged his shoulders.

"All right," Simon nodded.

"Zoe, you want to take them to the cargo bay?"

"Yes, sir," the dark woman nodded in response.

"Anything else you need, just ask," Captain Reynolds finished. "We, uh, live to serve."

Roz had to bite back a smile at the Captain's last comment. She could tell he didn't like passengers or the interference of the Alliance. Roz worried she had picked the wrong ship, she chose Serenity because of their dislike of the Alliance. If they played ball with the Alliance, what was to stop them from letting the Alliance take her if they found out she ran away from _him_ and was hiding aboard the ship?

_**fireflyfireflyfirefly**_

Roz followed Zoe, along with the other passengers, into the cargo hold. She looked around for the bag Jayne had stowed away for her; spotting it she groaned softly because unfortunately it was at a height that was easy for him, but hard for her to reach. Looking around she saw everyone concerned with their own problems and she didn't want to bother anyone else so she stepped onto a smaller box in an attempt to reach her own luggage.

Roz stepped up onto her tip-toes in order to barely grasp the bag; she was just about to grab a hold of it when…

"Woman, what in the great 'verse do you think you're doin'?"

Roz gasped at the harsh voice behind her; when she made an attempt to turn around swiftly she lost her balance and she felt herself toppling off the box. Instinctively she turned in mid air so that when she hit her back would be hitting the ground and not her stomach, still she feared the worst until she felt strong arms wrap around her, and tan hands nearly encasing her whole stomach. Her own hands latched on desperately to the arms that held her and she took in fast, short breaths that almost caused her to hyperventilate.

Slowly Jayne straightened her up on the box before helping her down. Brusquely Roz brushed his hands off her person and pushed her back against the boxes. She closed her eyes tightly and wrapped her arms around her stomach. Roz tried to keep the tears from leaking out but knew that one tear slipped past her barrier. She put her head down, not wanting Jayne to see her cry. _He_ always hated it when she cried; in fact _he_ would beat her harder whenever she would cry.

"Roz…that's yur name right?" Jayne's low voice pushed through the fog of memories.

"Ye…yes," Roz nodded shakily. "Thank you…I mean I'm sorry. That was very stupid. I shouldn't have stood on that box. It was too risky. I should know better than that. I could have hurt my baby. So stupid, stupid, stupid." Thinking back on the words she had just uttered, she seemed to be channeling _him_, spurting out the negative comments that she was used to hearing daily. This merely sent her into an even more depressive spiral.

"Well now…now you know better…no worries," Jayne comforted awkwardly. Roz watched tentatively as he reached out a hand very slowly and let it rest on her shoulder. At first she shunned his touch, eschewing anything masculine that could prove to be hurtful to her or her baby, but after a moment of forcing herself to abide his comfort, she began to like it even if for only a short second.

"Thank you again Mr… I'm sorry, I don't know your last name."

"Cobb," Jayne replied as he looked down into her big green eyes. "But you can call me Jayne, everyone here does."

"Well, thank you Jayne, you saved me and my baby's life." Roz smiled softly up at the tall man who looked very uncomfortable with the stigma of hero she had just placed upon him.

"Here let me get your bag," Jayne spoke. Easily, he reached up and brought her bag down.

"Thanks," she muttered shyly, opening the bag the moment it touched the ground. "I needed it so I could get the food I promised Kaylee and the Captain. I wanted to make sure I pulled my weight around here and not let anyone down." Roz pulled out a small paper bag with her meager portions of food. "I only hope that it will be enough."

Jayne used a finger to open one side of the bag and peered inside. He looked up at Roz and gave her a half smile before standing back. "That's more'n we get on good days. It'll be like havin' a feast."

"Oh," Roz said as she clutched the paper bag close to her chest. A smile played across her face, she wasn't quite used to having a man pay her compliments, even small ones such as the one he bestowed. "Good."

"Yeah, well," Jayne coughed into his hand to cover up some of the awkwardness of the moment. "Little Kaylee's over there with the Shepherd. You can go on and give her the food. If you'd like I can take your bag to your room?"

"Oh, you don't have to do that…" Roz began but after looking at Jayne's raised eyebrows she remembered they had already had this conversation. "I mean…thank you." Roz stared up at him, sincerity visible in her eyes.

Jayne grunted in response and lifted the bag onto his shoulders with no visible effort. Roz watched him walk off and wondered to herself, that maybe…just maybe, she might learn to trust again.

Roz, with her bag of food in hand, turned towards Kaylee and Shepherd Book when she was stopped by the sight of the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. She had long flowing dark hair, dark eyes, and a bright elegant dress that showed off every single curve. Her arrival seemed to stop everyone in their tracks as she nearly glided down the stairs.

"Ah, the ambassador returns," Captain Reynolds commented upon her arrival.

Roz stood amazed at the sight of the ambassador. She wondered how many politicians she had simply wowed only with her features instead of her political views.

"Hello Mal," she greeted with a small smile. "I see we have some new faces."

"Hey you," Kaylee greeted her at the bottom of the stairwell.

"Hey you," the ambassador returned.

"Ambassador, this is Shepherd Book," Captain Reynolds introduced the newcomer.

Roz stepped forward, hopping to be introduced to the ambassador; never had she been so close to such a high ranking official.

"I'd have to say this is the first time we've had a preacher on board," the ambassador replied as she walked closer.

"Well, I wasn't expecting to see a state official either," the Shepherd returned. "Ambassador," Shepherd Book took her hand in his and inclined his head.

Captain Reynolds snickered in reply, and the look of humiliation graced the beautiful woman's face. Roz turned to look around at the crew in confusion and they seemed un-amused by the captain's joke.

Shepherd Book looked between Captain Reynolds and the ambassador, "I'm missing something funny."

"Not so funny," Kaylee muttered, giving the captain a mutinous glare.

"Ambassador is Mal's way of saying…" The woman tried to explain but was rudely cut off.

"She's a whore Shepherd," Captain Reynolds cut in with a cheeky grin.

Roz visibly recoiled at such a harsh term. She looked the other woman up and down and remembered hearing things about companions. They were basically glorified prostitutes but received considerably more money and were thought of as respectable. Roz couldn't imagine willingly allowing a man to use her body for money, it was bad enough others deemed her a whore because she was sold into sexual slavery for _him_. It mad Roz sick thinking about this beautiful woman using sex so callously. But although she didn't care for the woman's profession, Roz wanted to keep an open mind, especially after the way the captain was treating her. No one needed to be humiliated in that fashion.

"The term is 'Companion'."

"I always get those mixed up. So how's business?" Captain Reynolds asked the ambassador/companion.

"None of yours," the companion responded with a grin of her own.

"She is pretty much our ambassador. There's plenty of planets wouldn't let you dock without a decent Companion on board. This…this isn't a problem for you, is it, Shepherd?" Captain Reynolds asked as if he actually cared. With the way things were turning out, it would seem he was doing all he could to get the Shepherd off his boat.

"Well I…well I certainly…" Shepherd Book stuttered.

"It's all right," the companion saved the Shepherd from saying something that would embarrass him. "I mostly keep to myself." She gave the Shepherd a small smile in respect. "When I'm not whoring," she added for the captain's benefit. She turned and walked away in the direction she had come from, seemingly unaffected but Roz did not miss the sadness in the woman's eyes.

"What? Don't you want to meet the rest of the bunch?" Captain Reynolds asked innocently.

The companion paused and turned her head slightly. "Why don't you make sure they want to meet me first?"

Kaylee and the companion began to walk up the stairs together. Roz looked around, unsure what to do. She needed to get the food to Kaylee before she lost her. Warring with herself as to whether or not to follow, she decided it best to use what left of her courage she had and walk up the stairs after her. However, as Roz was not used to stairs, it took a lot out of her just climbing the first few steps.

"Excuse me, Kaylee," Roz called out. Trying not to sound so out of breath, she continued to climb up the stairs.

The two women turned and watched as Roz came up the stairs, carefully watching every step so as not to trip.

"Kaylee, I brought the food I told you about," Roz lifted the paper bag gently as she leaned against the railing. "I can start cooking whenever you would like." Roz turned her gaze to the companion and gave her a soft smile before returning to Kaylee's direction.

"Thank you Roz," Kaylee smiled as she took the paper bag from her.

Roz looked up once again at the companion. She felt deeply ashamed by her appearance now standing next to the beautiful woman. Biting her lower lip softly, she brushed her hand on her pants before offering it to the other woman.

"I'd like to meet you, if you don't mind," Roz said softly, having even a hard time meeting the woman's gaze.

A moment passed before she felt a soft hand encompass her small one. "My name is Inara. It's nice to meet you Roz."

Roz peered up at Inara to see tears in her eyes. She didn't realize that a simple gesture on her part could mean so much to the other woman. Inara mouthed the words "thank you," and Roz nodded sharply in reply.

"Come, let us show you the ship," Inara gestured upwards and let a soft hand rest on her back. Roz flinched automatically but Inara didn't move her hand but left it there. After a moment, it felt more natural as she was led around the Serenity. _Could I possibly be making friends?_

**Okay, so here's the second chapter. I wanted to show that although Roz had the courage to leave _him _she has still not left behind her fear. It's going to take a long time for her to heal and that will be the main theme of the story. **

**We saw a kinder side of Jayne, but don't worry I'm not going to turn him into a complete teddy bear. We'll see the soft side of Jayne, but upcoming we'll see the rebellious angry Jayne as well. We can't get rid of the Jayne we all know and love! **

**Hope you like it and thank you for those who reviewed. If you stop by please review because it makes me so giddy and I jump around and do a review dance every time!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Firefly or any of the characters (expect Roz.) I also do not make any profits off this story (sadly.) Certain scenes and dialogue are lifted exactly from the series. **

**Chapter Three**

Roz immediately began work on the dinner once she was shown the kitchen. Inara left soon after pleading she was incapable of making any food worth eating. Kaylee laughed in response and nodded that it was the truth. Shepherd Book replaced Inara and Roz knew instantly they would get along. She wasn't afraid of him like most men; probably because he wasn't very imposing, but more so that he was calm and a man of God. She was enraptured by the words he spoke, how he lived a life of tranquility and prayer. It sounded so peaceful and Roz longed for such a life. Whenever he stopped speaking, Roz would instantly ask another question with infectious curiosity. Book would smile knowingly and answer her questions patiently.

As the dining room began to fill, the three of them began to set the table. Just as she stood back to survey the table and make sure all was perfect, Jayne walked into the room. His eyes tracked towards her immediately and he inclined his head towards her in respect. Roz felt her breath catch in her throat as he continued to walk towards her. She stuffed down her fear and forced her head up to give him a small smile in return. Roz once again turned to the table counting all the place settings; it was drilled into her from the beginning to always make sure things were perfect. Once everything was to her liking, Roz walked back into the kitchen and started setting things on the table. After trying to carry a heavy pot, she was instantly admonished by Captain Reynolds.

"Miss Bennett, I thought I said no lifting heavy things in your condition. The last thing I want is for a pregnant lady to have…pregnant…problems…" he finished off awkwardly. Taking the pot from her hands he set it on the table himself and glared at Jayne.

Frowning, Jayne stood and walked back into the kitchen. "Woman, you're goin' to get me yelled at by the Captain if you continue to insist doin' everything yourself."

"Well I didn't mean to get you in trouble," Roz insisted, tugging nervously at the towel in her hands. "I just didn't think anything by it."

"Don't worry about it," Jayne replied with a shrug as he caught Kaylee's eye.

Kaylee took the opportunity to gently wrestle the towel out of Roz's hands. "I can take care of the rest of this. Go ahead and sit Mommy. It's time for you and the baby to eat."

"You want me to eat with the rest of you?" Roz asked in confusion. She had always been taught that the workers eat last, especially women of her station. She wasn't fit to eat with the rest of them.

"Of course you're going to eat with us." Kaylee frowned at Roz. "Why wouldn't you?"

"Well…I…shouldn't. I…?" Roz was so confused. She didn't know how to act with people anymore. If everything she was told was a lie, about how to act, what to say, what not say…then what was the truth?

"Roz, that _bun tyen-shung duh ee-dway-ro _(stupid inbred stack of meat) don't control you no more. You're free." Jayne looked at her with such seriousness. She had believed that once she had left the planet she would be free, but she found she was still trapped by what _he_ had made her to believe. _I guess it's time to find my own way now_.

"Well, maybe I should sit down," Roz murmured as she put a hand to her back. She felt like an overlarge duck as she waddled into the dining room. She looked down at herself, worried about how others were looking at her. Roz felt like such a mess and instantly wished she could be transported out of the room.

Jayne walked behind her and pulled out the chair next to him for her to sit. Roz was touched as she looked up at Jayne who seemed to think this should be an everyday occurrence. She sat down gratefully with a sigh and leaned back into the chair.

"Thank you Jayne," she whispered to him as he sat down beside her. "Honestly, I don't know if I was going to be able to stand up much longer." Roz commented, half-jokingly.

"I imagined. My momma had a brood of children and I remember how tired she was all the time," Jayne replied back looking down at his plate the whole time. Roz could tell he didn't share very much on a regular basis, so it meant a lot to her to have him impart even the smallest pieces of information.

Once everyone began filling their plates, Roz figured she would wait until everyone had finished grabbing what they wanted but Jayne had already taken her plate and begun piling food. Roz didn't know whether to be angry or touched that he had taken the initiative. She chose the latter option. _No_ _need to get upset about a small thing._

"This is truly wonderful," Zoe smiled as she began loading her plate.

"This is great, thank you Shepherd Book, Kaylee, Miss Bennett," Mal nodded to the three helpers.

"Please, just call me Roz, everyone does," she spoke quickly and quietly, blushing as she realized she spoke in front of people at the table. Thanking Jayne graciously for the plate, she stared at the food so she didn't have to look anyone in the eye.

"It's not much," Book stated. "I had a garden at the abbey, thought I should bring what I could."

"It's very kind of you to share with all of us," Simon raised his glass to Book. "You as well Roz, I understand you brought food as well."

Roz nodded in reply, sparing a quick glance up at the well groomed man.

"I'm taking this to Wash," Zoe indicated a plate in her hand.

"It won't last. They're not the same when they're frozen. The important thing is the spices," Book said as he and Simon carried on a discussion over the quality of fresh produce.

"Can you pass the tomatoes?" Jayne asked in Roz's ear. She jumped slightly at the closeness of the larger man, but did as she was asked.

"A man can live on packaged food from here till Judgment Day if he's got enough rosemary," Book continued his conversation with Simon. "Captain, do you mind if I say grace?" Book asked the captain with a smile on his face. Roz was thrilled to hear it, a smile playing across her face that was not missed by Jayne.

"Only if you say it out loud," was the captain's response. Roz's and Book's faces dropped their smile and they looked at each other dejectedly. Book bounced back though as he looked at Roz and silently asked permission to take her hand. Roz appreciated how he asked before touching and with a gentle smile she placed her hand in his. Around the table she saw the crew and passengers alike take each other's hand, so it was only logical that she take Jayne's hand as well. She looked at Jayne, whose eyes were already closed in quiet reflection, didn't want to disturb so hesitated in taking his hand. Roz closed her own eyes but didn't quite know what to say to God. Instead she let the peacefulness of the moment wash over her, maybe over time she would know what to say. Halfway through the prayer, she felt a large hand encompass hers that rested on her lap. It wasn't a demanding hand, but gentle and loose. Roz tensed at the feel of a hand so close to her thigh, but since he didn't move his hand instead simply letting it rest, she began to slowly relax.

Roz opened her eyes after the prayer and let go of Book's hand with a small smile of thanks. Jayne's hand was swiftly pulled back, but she didn't dare look at him for fear of blushing. Instead she stared around at the rest of the table in relative freedom now they were focused on their food and not her. She liked people watching because Roz felt it was the only time she could have to understand how people were supposed to react in certain situations.

"So, does it happen a lot?" Simon asked. For a moment every one stopped talking because they weren't sure what he was referring. "Government commandeering your ship telling you where to go?"

"That's what governments are for…get in a man's way," Captain Reynolds replied with a straight face.

"Well it's good if the supplies are needed," another man piped up. A fellow passenger who had beady eyes that Roz did not trust; _he _had the same hard and cold eyes.

"We're just happy to be doing good works," Jayne growled as he continued eating. The words sounded very forced and strange coming from the big and surly man. Roz didn't believe for a second he meant what he said. _Something doesn't seem quite right about this bunch, but it's really none of my business._

"I hear a lot of the border moons are in bad shape…plagues and famine," the beady eyed man continued.

"Well, some of that's exaggerated, and some of it ain't," Zoe commented as she returned. "All those moons, just like the central planets, they're as close to Earth-That-Was as we can make 'em…gravity, atmosphere and such, but…"

"Once they're terra-formed they'll dump settlers on there with nothing but blankets, hatchets…maybe a herd," Captain Reynolds cut in. "Some of them make it. Some of them…" he left the sentence open ended, as if the rest could be inferred.

"Then I guess it's good we're helping," Simon said.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Kaylee broke it by addressing Simon. "You're a doctor right?"

Roz jolted at the mention of Simon being a doctor, she wondered if she could work up enough courage to ask him to briefly check and make sure her baby was okay. _He_ never let her see a doctor on Persephone, said she wasn't worth the coin.

"Oh, uh, yes. I was a trauma surgeon on Osiris in Capital City."

"Long way from here," the captain replied.

"You seem so young to be a doctor," Kaylee smiled.

Simon grinned, it was the first time that Roz had seen him smile. "Yeah, you're pretty young to be a ship's mechanic."

"Know how. Machines just got workings, and they talk to me."

"That's a rare gift," Shepherd Book commented, and smiled at Kaylee.

"Well, not like being a doctor. Helping fix people…that's important."

Jayne snorted, "little Kaylee here just wishes you was a gynecologist." Roz thought he meant to say it under his breath but it came out loud for the whole table to hear. Roz saw Kaylee's mouth shut and suddenly become interested in the food on her plate. She felt terrible for both Simon and Kaylee, also for Jayne and his big mouth.

"Jayne," Captain Reynolds barked. "You will keep a civil tongue in that mouth, or I will sew it shut. Is there an understanding between us?"

Roz hadn't known Jayne for long but even she knew Jayne was not one for taking orders, or to be backed into a corner, so it was only natural for him to come back with a rude comment.

"You don't pay me to talk pretty. Just because Kaylee gets lubed up over some big-city dandy…"

"Walk away from this table. Right now," Captain Reynolds ordered, looking Jayne square in the eyes.

Roz could see Jayne thinking as his jaw clenched and his hands curled into fists. It seemed he was about to blow up and Roz closed her eyes in preparedness for fists and her being caught in the commotion. A rough hand was placed over hers and she saw that Jayne was looking right at her. The anger was still there but his eyes had softened. He seemed to be trying to calm himself for her benefit. Removing his hand he took his plate and he exited the room without a glance back.

The silence at the table grew thick until Simon asked, "what do you pay him for?"

"What?" Captain Reynolds asked, clearly not thinking about Jayne's innocent comment.

"I was just wondering what his job is…on the ship."

Captain Reynolds stared at Simon and paused before saying, "public relations."

**Okay, so we're seeing some growing moments from Roz. She's having a hard time coping with what she was told to do and behave in the past and now she's not quite sure how to handle certain situations. She's also feeling very self-conscious with how she looks especially in comparison with everyone else on the ship. Throughout the story, she will begin to grow and find her identity but right now, after taking a huge leap and running away from _him, _she's content with her baby step progress.**

**I love that we see the angry side of Jayne at the end, he's not going to be all happy and calm around Roz because that's not his character. He was able to reel himself in because he saw Roz become afraid, but in the next few chapters he's not going to be able to hide his anger and Roz will need to deal with that when it happens.**

**I also happen to love the last two lines of this chapter that come from the series. I laugh just thinking of Jayne in a public relations role. **

**Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed. It means a lot to me and as it's my birthday tomorrow (hint, hint) I'm not above asking for reviews as little presents for me. (Tee hee hee!) So please, use the little review button and let me know what you think and what you would like to see from Roz and the crew of Serenity. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Once everyone had finished eating, they all scurried away to the far corners of the ship, not staying long to chat or catch up. Roz and Kaylee stayed back to clean up and Shepherd Book offered to help but they politely declined.

"Sorry about Jayne," Kaylee muttered as she vigorously scrubbed a spot on one of the plates. "Sometimes he has a big mouth, other times he… well he can be nice if he wants to, but that's very rare."

"I understand," Roz nodded, gently taking the plate out of Kaylee's hand before she broke it.

"It's just…" Kaylee put both arms on the sink and leaned over with a sigh. "Was I that obvious?"

"Now I don't understand," Roz quirked an eyebrow at the other girl.

"Well, Jayne's round-about way of sayin' I was all googly eyed over Simon."

"Oh…well, I guess I didn't really notice anything peculiar."

"Simon is nice an all. Those fancy clothes and slicked back hair and proper talk. He's a doctor after all, what's not to like?"

"True," Roz nodded. She seemed to understand that Kaylee didn't need anyone to answer her but simply to be a sounding board.

"So, I suppose I may have a teensy little crush on the doctor," Kaylee admitted pinching her finger and thumb together to show how small her crush truly was. "But, it's not like anything would happen. I mean I'm a mechanic after all and he's a doctor. We're from two very different worlds."

Roz paused to contemplate Kaylee's words while trying to formulate her thoughts so they came out coherent. "Kaylee, I suppose you and the whole ship know that I wasn't in a good relationship. Heck," she scoffed. "I wouldn't even go so far as to call it a relationship instead it was more like a prison sentence. But I have learned that…or at least I'm trying to learn that you can be whoever you want to be and go wherever you need to go. Being a part of two different worlds shouldn't stop anyone; it only means you need to take a longer trip to get there."

"Wow," Kaylee smiled down at her and placed an arm around Roz's shoulders. "Thanks a lot. That made sense."

"Good," Roz replied back with her own smile. In part because she was glad that Kaylee was happy again, and in realization that she hadn't freaked out over the slightest touch. Roz placed the rag she had been using to dry dishes with to the side and walked back to the table to pick up the remains of the cake (or what was as close to possible as cake) and bringing it back to the kitchen to be wrapped up for later. She paused, however, when she saw a large man hulking outside the dining area.

Jayne stood in the doorway with his hands behind his back looking hungrily at the dessert. Roz breathed in at the sight of his massive body, he was a very handsome man, and the mere thought nearly sent her running with fear. She shook her head and forced the thoughts out of her mind. Striving for calm, Roz walked slowly towards the table and pointed towards the remnants of the dessert. "Would you like a piece of cake Jayne?"

"If it's all right with you," Jayne nodded slowly as he struggled to make sure his words were polite.

Smiling softly, Roz picked up the knife and cut a large slice of cake and placed it on one of the remaining plates. She set it down and gestured for him to have a seat.

"No Jayne Cobb," Kaylee ordered as she marched into the dining room waving a fork in the air. "You don't deserve cake after what you said earlier."

"Aw geez," Jayne groaned as he threw his hands up in frustration. "I didn't mean nothin' by it."

"Yes you did," Kaylee argued. "You always have to go an' ruin everythin'." With a huff she threw the fork at Jayne's large chest and stormed out of the dining room.

Jayne and Roz were left alone in the room, staring aimlessly at the walls for fear of spooking the other. Roz decided to break the silence first. "I'll get you a clean fork."

"Naw," Jayne shrugged and picked up the fork from the floor and wiping it on his pants. "I've eatin' with dirtier."

"All right then," Roz nodded as she pulled out a chair and gestured for him to sit. Jayne ambled over, slouching in what she could only surmise as his attempt to appear less imposing. She bit back a smile and chose a seat across from him.

The moment Jayne had the cake in front of him he started to gobble it down. The fork was a mere blur as it went between plate and mouth. It seemed like only seconds before the cake was reduced to mere crumbs. Jayne leaned back in the chair and patted his flat, muscular stomach with a sigh. "That was mighty fine cake Miss Roz."

"Well, I'm glad you liked it," Roz replied with a smile. She stood up to collect his plate when he snatched it up first.

"I can clean up my own mess," he commented gruffly. He walked into the kitchen and placed his plate and fork neatly in the sink and returned to the dining room to help clean off the rest of the table.

"Oh Jayne," Roz stood shaking her head and wringing her hands anxiously. "You really don't have to do this, I'm sure you have…"

"Better things to do?" Jayne returned with a raised eyebrow. "I think I heard that before."

"I know I keep saying it," Roz conceded graciously. "But I only say because it must be true. Don't you have other things to do?"

"Right now…no, besides stay out of the captain's way," Jayne responded with a heavy shrug. "About that…I shouldn't have…."

"Don't worry," Roz laid a hand lightly on his arm, shocked she would be so forward. "I've heard much worse in my day. Besides it's not me who you should be talking to."

"But I already done talked to Kaylee," Jayne fought back as he picked the cake up and carried it into the kitchen. "She threw a fork at me, 'member?"

"Yes I remember," Roz nodded with a smile. "But is that what you would consider an apology?"

"Well I…" Jayne sputtered but was cut off by Zoe's out of breath appearance.

"Jayne," she paused in the doorway and looked pointedly at the larger man. "We got trouble."

"I'm comin'," Jayne nodded. He lifted his gun out of the holster and checked to make sure it was fully loaded.

"Roz, make sure you stay in here. Shut the door after me," Jayne spoke as he walked towards Zoe who despite bestowing bad news looked extremely calm and collected.

Roz couldn't help staring at the large gun held tightly in Jayne's hand. _He_ had a gun and would often bring it out and point it at her head to keep her afraid. Sometimes _he_ would play a game where _he_ would load the chamber with one bullet and put the gun to her temple. Every time _he_ pulled the trigger she jolted, expecting to feel the explosion in her head, sometimes she was absolutely terrified while sometimes she wished _he_ did kill her, at least she would be away from _him_ then.

"Roz, snap out of it girl," Jayne snapped his fingers irritably. "Do ya hear what I'm saying?"

Roz blinked and nodded her head, "yes I hear you Jayne," she said softly.

"Stay here," Jayne looked at her, leaving no room for argument.

With a meek nod of her head, Roz closed the door to the dining room and leaned back against it. She hoped he would be careful. After a few minutes of staying locked in the dining room, Roz was thinking back on what she had told Kaylee. _You can be whoever you want to be…go wherever you want to go… _She had told Kaylee that only moments ago and here she was staying like the obedient dog she used to be. _Who was Jayne to tell me where to go or where not to go? I won't let anyone tell me what to do anymore._

Roz stepped away from the door and with a gust of courage, opened the door and walked out into the hall. She was easily able to tell where the commotion was coming from because she could already hear the raised voices and it sounded as if it was coming from the cargo hold. Careful of what she could be walking into, she stuck her head around the corner and was astonished at what she saw.

"Move," Jayne ordered the Shepherd. They were just a few steps away from her and she could practically see the anger emanating from Jayne

"Not going to happen," Book hardened his stance.

Jayne swiftly brought up his gun, aimed and cocked it at the man standing in his way. "I ain't jokin' Preacher."

Roz looked past the Shepherd to where the other passenger with the beady eyes lay on the floor. "Oh my word," Roz gasped wondering at what had happened. She looked back at Jayne only to find him staring straight at her, his expression not a happy one.

"I thought I told you to stay," Jayne hissed.

"Jayne," Roz shook as she looked at the gun he was still holding. He looked down and cursed, hurriedly he re-holstered the gun and reached across pulling her to his side. She was still shaking, and she wasn't quite sure if it was because of Jayne's close proximity or because of the violence she must have just missed.

"Jayne, just tie him up," Zoe commanded as she aimed her gun at the lawman.

Jayne looked down at Roz and pushed her gently away from Book and the downed passenger. He gave her a look that told her exactly what to do – not move. She nodded that she understood and watched as he used the rope Zoe had given him to tie up the passenger very meticulously.

Zoe held out her hand to Book, "the gun shepherd." Book merely looked down at the gun that lay in his hand.

"Please," Zoe asked. Something in her voice inclined him to give up the weapon.

Once Jayne had finished tying up the passenger, he hauled the man up and shoved him into Zoe's waiting arms.

"Hey Preacher man," Jayne snapped his fingers in the Shepherd's face to grab his attention. "Help Zoe get this man into his room and make sure he stays there." Shepherd Book looked at Zoe and nodded slightly before moving to help her carry the unconscious man.

Roz looked behind her and didn't realize there was something else going on in the room. There was a crowd of people around a prone body, and the body looked suspiciously like…

"Kaylee?" Roz gasped as she walked quickly towards the crowd. She was stopped however by a large hand on her shoulder.

"Just give 'em some room to work," Jayne whispered as he looked intently down at the group.

"Kaylee, stay with me, just stay with me," Simon said, his doctor training taking over immediately as he looked into her eyes. "Can you move your feet?"

"Are you asking me to dance?" Kaylee asked with a silly grin on her face.

"She's going into shock," Simon told Captain Reynolds.

Inara had lifted Kaylee's head into her lap and was stroking her hair. "_Mei-mei _you have to focus."

As Simon felt the gun wound, he must have touched a sensitive area because she let out a loud groan.

"The infirmary working?" Simon asked.

"Yeah, we got it stocked," Mal replied, barely looking up from Kaylee's unmoving figure.

"Captain," a voice echoed over the P.A. _Must be Wash_, Roz thought as he was the only one she hadn't met. "We've been hailed by a cruiser, ordered to stay on course and dock for prisoner transfer."

Simon and the captain looked at each other dangerously. Something had occurred earlier that Roz must have missed because each seemed to be speaking without the use of words. But the thought of the Alliance just outside their doorstep terrified Roz because she knew they would only take her back to _him_.

"They won't stop for the Alliance will they?" Roz turned towards Jayne, frightened eyes staring up at him.

"Don't know," Jayne grunted as he looked warily at the Captain. "Depends on his mood I suppose."

"But…they'll take me back Jayne, they'll bring me back too," Roz clutched onto Jayne's arm, not thinking of anything but _him_ and how she couldn't go back to the abuse.

Jayne's head snapped down to her, his hands latching onto her shoulders and pulling her into his warm chest. "You ain't goin' nowhere that you don't want to, and you sure as hell ain't goin' back to that _qing wa cao de liu mang_" (frog-humping son of a *itch)

Roz was so overcome with emotion, she simply rested her forehead against Jayne's torso and breathed a sigh of relief as she felt his arms hesitantly wrap around her. She decided to relish in the moment and how for the first time, she didn't feel afraid but completely safe. She trusted that whatever would happen, Jayne wouldn't let anything bad happen to her. Forcing herself from her situation, she turned her focus back towards Kaylee.

Simon stood and stared gravely down at the captain. "Change course, run."

Reynolds looked at him as if he were crazy, "hell with you. You brought this down on us. I'm dumping you with the law."

"Mal," Inara interjected shock in her voice.

"She's dying," Simon pointed out.

"You're not gonna let her," Reynolds shook his head.

"Yes, I am."

"No, you can't," Reynolds stood.

"No way the feds'll let us walk," Zoe stated.

"Then we dump him in a shuttle and leave him," Reynolds replied.

"Everybody's so mad," Kaylee murmured.

"It's okay," Inara soothed with a hitch in her voice.

"Know what a stomach wound does?"

"I surely do," the captain replied stoic.

"Then you know how crucial the next few minutes are."

"You let her die, you'll never make it to the feds," Zoe threatened, her stance ready for a fight.

"She'll still be dead," Simon commented.

"You rich kids," Reynolds said in disgust, bringing Simon's attention away from Zoe to the captain. "You think your lives are the only thing that matters. What'd you do? Kill your folks for the family fortune?"

"I don't kill people," Simon replied incensed by the accusation.

"Then do your job," Reynolds stated.

"Turn the ship around!"

"Enough!" Inara yelled as she stood up. "Mal do it."

"Don't you ever tell me what to do on…" Reynolds turned on Inara with a cold voice. He stopped what he was saying when he heard the sobs of pain coming from Kaylee. He paused for a moment before turning to his second in command. "Zoe, change course."

Simon acted immediately. "Help me get her up," he ordered the captain.

Zoe walked over to the intercom and pressed the correct buttons that allowed her to speak directly to Wash. "Wash, change course and go for hard burn. We're runnin'."

Roz and Jayne watched as they carefully picked up Kaylee and carried her out into the hall and down towards the infirmary. She wasn't sure if she would be welcome so Roz decided to hang back, Jayne appeared to have the same thought. They stood together on the silent ship, in each other's arms, and for the first time in Roz's life…she prayed.

**Okay, so hear is the latest installment, hope you all liked it. I especially enjoyed Jayne and Roz's quiet moment with each other. I think the only reason that happened was because of Roz's fear of going back to _him _and yearning to be comforted by someone. **

**In the next chapter, you'll see an angrier side of Jayne where he doesn't tip-toe around Roz' feelings but lets his own out instead. In this story, you'll see Roz take a few steps forward, such as touching and allowing to be touched by another person, but there will be times where she will recoil and fall back in her progress. There isn't going to be a quick fix for Roz, it's going to be a ruthless and hard journey but I'll give you a little hint…she'll make it!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I own nothing belonging to Firefly.**

**This chapter will be largely written in the perspective of Jayne.**

**Chapter Five**

After a few moments of quiet silence, Roz gnawed on her lower lip the thought of seeing Kaylee laying on the floor, blood seeping from her stomach nearly turned her stomach. She desperately hoped Kaylee would be okay, but her life wasn't often filled with good things. Maybe it was illogic, but Roz couldn't help but think her presence on this ship was a bad omen. _Is it possible I brought my bad luck to these good people? _

"Rozalynn," Jayne spoke roughly, pulling out of her embrace so he could look down into her eyes. "I'm goin' to check on Kaylee and meet up with the captain."

"Of course," Roz nodded her head in agreement. "Please let me know how she is?"

Jayne jerked his head in a way Roz could only assume was a yes. She looked at him warily and noticed him pulling away, both physically and emotionally.

"Are you all right Jayne?" Roz asked with concern.

"Yeah, I'll find ya later," he answered curtly and walked out without looking back. Roz couldn't help but feel a little hurt by his response. Frowning, she waited a couple minutes before heading back to the kitchen, the one place on the ship where she felt comfortable.

_**fireflyfireflyfirefly**_

Jayne took his time checking up on Kaylee, he wouldn't admit it to anyone but he was worried over the little mechanic. He'd been shot about a million times it seemed like and he always came out just fine. He only hoped the same could be said about Kaylee.

After looking in on Kaylee, the captain told him to check with the prisoner, and gleefully Jayne nearly ran towards the guest compartments. Zoe was keeping guard on the prisoner, Jayne almost pouted because he knew Zoe wouldn't let him do what he really wanted. He also caught sight of the Shepherd in the corner, no doubt making sure he or Zoe didn't kill the Fed. Jayne gave the older man a feral smile before turning his attention to the man before him. With Zoe and the Preacher's watchful gazes he had to be content with checking the ropes binding the man to the chair, taking a small amount of joy in pulling them tight and watching the spy wince in pain. Zoe only allowed that for a small amount of time before ordering him out of the room. Knowing better than to cross Zoe, Jayne slouched out of the room closing the door behind him and leaning a hand against the wall in the hallway.

After seeing the Alliance scum, he realized once again how close Roz had come to being shot by that man. Closing his eyes and tightening his fist, it took all his will power to keep from barging into the room and beating the man senseless. Little did the crew members of Serenity know that Jayne was actually a patient man. He couldn't have grown up poor and waited for the right time to provide for his family without patience or will power.

Pushing off the wall, Jayne stalked down the hall and decided it was time to have a little chat with Rozalynn. His first guess was the right one as he found her in the kitchen; she was cleaning everything in sight, even though he knew she had taken time to clean after dinner. He could see how her hands shook as she tried to wipe down the counters. Roz's eyes were red from crying and tear stains streaked her lovely face.

Taking a moment to curb his anger, he spoke her name softly hoping not to spook her; but he cursed himself because she jumped nearly a foot in the air. She clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her scream and took a few deep breaths in and out to calm herself down.

"You scared me Jayne," she remarked with a soft tremble in her voice.

"Sorry, didn't mean to." Jayne replied as he stepped closer to her. He didn't miss the compulsive step away from him as he walked towards her. She seemed to be warring with herself because she stopped moving away and lifted her head proudly in defiance.

"Have you come to yell at me?" Roz asked.

"Yell at you? _Gorram _it woman, I didn't come ta yell at you, though I wish you had some common sense in that there brain a yours. What you come bargin' into a dangerous scene like that for? Ya could've gotten yourself shot dead. Thought I told you to stay where it was safe."

"Maybe it wasn't the smartest decision," Roz conceded. She set the wash rag down and folded her arms over her belly. "But I spent my whole life under the rules of a man. I didn't run all this way to trade one life for another. So I let my own personal problems get in the way of my safety. But I will not take orders. I would however take suggestions."

"Fine," Jayne rolled his eyes in exasperation. "The next time we get into a gun fight, I'll remember to ask you all politely and all to stay out of the way."

Roz giggled in response, which stopped Jayne's breath for a moment. He never knew that something insignificant as laughter could cause his heart to stop beating. Seriousness over came Roz as she thought about the events that had just transpired. "How's Kaylee?"

"Don't know," he said suddenly. "I watched the Doc cut into her a bit but I didn't see nothin' else. Don't know what's rightly goin' on."

"I'm sorry Jayne, I know she was your friend. For the short period of time that I knew her, I considered her a friend, and hoped that we would grow in our friendship only given the time." Rozalynn stepped closer to Jayne and hesitantly placed a comforting hand upon his arm. Jayne was looking down at the floor and didn't expect the human contact and jumped a bit. Hastily Roz took back her hand.

"I'm sorry," Roz sputtered.

"No," Jayne replied gruffly. Tentatively he took the hand she had just taken away and placed it on his arm, letting her grow comfortable with his touch.

Jayne's head jerked to the side when he heard running down the halls and Simon yelling. He looked down at the woman who held onto him with such trust, he couldn't bear to see her hurt, but that meant emotionally as well.

"I need to go and see what's what. You can stay here or stick next to me."

"I'm with you," Roz smiled sweetly up at him and squeezed his arm.

"Ok then, let's go."

Jayne headed towards the loading dock, following the voices of Mal and the Doc. "Stay away from that!" He heard Simon order but Jayne had covered a lot of ground with his long legs and quickly came up behind the Doc, swiftly cutting off his oxygen with an arm around his throat. Roz was only a step behind and gasped when she saw Simon in a headlock. Jayne's arms loosened visibly but still held on tight enough for Simon to stay put.

"Where's the fed?" Mal asked as he strode towards the doctor's luggage.

"Secured, the shepherd's with him. He seems to think he's not safe alone with me."

Mal walked directly to the fancy cargo that the good doctor had brought on board with him. It seemed almost high-tech in a way. He pulled it out from the storage and unlocked it. The top popped open and steam came out from underneath.

While the captain was uncovering the secrets that Simon was so desperately trying to cover up, the rest of the ship seemed eager to find out what the doctor was hiding as well. All of them seemed to realize something was happening in the cargo hold and came to investigate.

Mal stood before the cargo with a mysterious gleam in his eye and looked at Simon. "Well, let's see what a man like you would kill for." Mal raised his leg and kicked the top off the cargo.

"No don't!" Simon yelled but he could do nothing with Jayne holding him back.

Mal tried to wave away the thick steam that was rising out from the carrier to get a better look. Roz drew nearer to Jayne who had let go of Simon to pull her behind him. His gun was out quickly as he aimed it at the cargo, seemingly not trusting whatever was in there. Mal moved closer and peered inside the cargo container and Jayne saw his eyes light up in shock and disbelief. Mal looked from the cargo, to Simon, and back to the cargo. "Hu."

Simon started to walk towards Mal when Jayne grabbed onto the back of his shirt. Mal didn't appear to be worried so Jayne figured whatever was in the cargo wasn't worth shooting and he re-holstered the gun. "I need to check her vitals," Simon huffed in frustration.

"Oh, is that what they call it?" Mal asked as he looked at him with disgust.

"She's not supposed to wake up for another week. The shock…"

"The shock of what? Waking up? Finding out she's been sold to some border-world baron?"

Roz gasped in horror. Jayne looked back at her and desperately wanted to wring the neck of the scrawny doctor for hurting her. Truth be told though, he wanted to shoot himself for letting her come with him. But at least Jayne had figured out what was in the box…a woman.

"Or…I'm sorry. Was this one for you? Is it true love? Because you do seem a little…"

Mal was cut off when the girl awakened with a high pitched scream. Gasping for breath the girl looked around at her strange surroundings, unsure of where she was. She crawled out of the box, completely naked, and fell into a heap on the floor.

Simon pulled away from Jayne to run to the girl on the floor. "River," he knelt down next to her. She backed away as he grew closer until she had her back to the carrier. "Hey, it's okay." Simon reached out to grab a hold of her shoulders so she would stop moving.

"Simon," her eyes focused on him briefly before growing wide. "Simon, they…they talk to me." Her shaking hands indicated her head. "They want me to…they want me to…"

"No, they're gone," Simon reassured her. "They're gone, they're gone," he spoke softly and gently as she continued to whimper incoherently. "They're gone. We're safe now, we're safe."

River looked into Simon's eyes as he held her face still in his elegant hands. She started to sob and he took her into his arms. "I'm here, we're safe."

The crew looked on, unsure of what to make of all this. Jayne saw Roz look on with sadness and began to take off her sweater to give to the young girl. Jayne placed a hand on her arm to stop her, and instead he shrugged out of his brown leather jacket and threw it to the Doc.

"What the hell is this?" Mal asked softly gesturing to the couple huddled on the floor.

Simon looked up at him, his eyes filled with grief and anger. "This…is my sister."

**Sorry this chapter is so short. When I wrote it, it was pages longer but it was too long and there really was no other good way of ending it so I decided to stop here. The next chapter will be a lot longer.**

**I decided to write this and the next chapter mostly from Jayne's POV because I wanted to find out what he thought of Roz and figure out what he thinks about the happenings on the ship. Others think they have Jayne pegged as a mindless mercenary but I always thought he was a mystery. It will be fun to delve into this character and past.**

**Thank you to those who have reviewed. I try to respond to everyone, but to those who don't sign in and can't be thanked…Thank You! I appreciate all your comments and constructive criticisms. I hope to continue growing as a writer and you all help me in that way.**

**Thanks again!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything belonging to Firefly. I merely own the character Roz, my cat, and my husband…that's it.**

**Chapter Six**

In an instant the crew came alive at the bold statement from Simon, "this…is my sister". The captain shouted orders for everyone to be in the eating area right away while Simon escorted his sister down to the infirmary to get some rest. Jayne placed a hand on Roz's back and gently prodded her towards the dining room. He couldn't wait to hear how Simon was going to explain himself.

No one spoke to each other and as they sat at the table it wasn't the joyful communion as it was earlier at dinner, everyone seemed to be caught up in their own thoughts. Jayne sat next to Roz tapping his fingers anxiously as he looked towards the door. He was forcing himself to stay in his seat and not jump up and drag the _Sha gwa (fool)_ doctor in by his toenails.

Simon arrived just in time because Jayne had pushed back his chair with a screech and was about to stand up. He growled slightly when Simon walked in, needing to get rid of some of his anxious energy he was gearing up for a fight and hoped he could punch someone (namely Simon).

Simon stood before the group; his normally calm manor was replaced with uncertainty as he fiddled nervously with his fingers. With a large sigh Simon raised his head and looked at the crew and guests and began his story.

"I am very smart. I went to the best medacad on Osiris. Top three percent of my class. Finished my internship in eight months. 'Gifted' is the term. So when I tell you that my little sister makes me look like an idiot child I want you to understand my full meaning.

"River was more than gifted. She…she was a gift. Everything she did…you know, music, math, theoretical physics, even…even dance…there was nothing that didn't come as naturally to her as breathing does to us. And she could be a real…brat about it too," Simon smiled softly to himself. "I mean she used to…" he paused and looked up with a confused look on his face, clearly he had lost himself in his memories and Jayne was ready to shake him out of the past and into the future. Clearing his throat awkwardly, Simon continued with his explanation.

"There was a school, a government sponsored academy. We had never even heard of it, but it had the most exciting program, the most challenging. We could have sent her anywhere. We had the money, but she wanted to go. She wanted to learn. She was fourteen.

"I, uh, got a few letters at first, and then I didn't hear for months. Finally I got a letter that made no sense. She talked about things that never happened. Jokes that we never… It was a code. It just said…'they're hurting us, get me out.'" Pain crossed Simon's face at the thought of the harm that had befallen his sister.

"How'd you do it?" Zoe asked.

"Money, and…and luck. For two years I couldn't get near her. Then I was contacted by some men…some underground movement. They…they said that she was in danger, that…that the government was…playing with her brain. If I funded them, they could sneak her out in cryo, get her to Persephone, and from there I could take her wherever."

"Will she be all right?" Inara asked.

"I don't know if she'll be all right. I don't know what they did to her. Or why. I just have to keep her safe."

"That's…quite a story son," Shepherd Book replied gently.

"Yeah, it's a tale of woe, very stirring," Mal commented sarcastically from the back of the room. "In the meantime, you've heaped a world of trouble on me and mine."

"I never thought…"

"No, I don't imagine you thought. In consequence of which we got a kidnapped federal officer on board, we got the Alliance hard on our trail, and Kaylee…"

"How much does the Alliance know?" Zoe asked, interrupting the captain's tirade.

"I can't say," Wash replied. "I killed the message pretty quick, so they may just have our position."

"Or," Mal turned to face his crew. "They might have personal profiles on each and every one of us. Till that Fed wakes up, we won't know."

"So what do we do?" Jayne asked.

"The job," he replied. "We finish the job. I got word from Patience. She's waiting for us. We circle round to Whitefall, make the deal, get out, keep flying."

"What about us?" Simon asked from behind the captain.

Mal turned to address the doctor. "Kaylee comes through, you and your sister get off at Whitefall."

"If she doesn't come through?"

"Well, then you're getting off a mite sooner."

Jayne stiffened uncomfortably at the barely audible gasp from Roz. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her fiddle with the sleeve of her sweater, not daring to make eye contact with any of the crew. He frowned as he realized those movements were made out of a nervous habit. _She's gonna have to get used to how we do things round here_, he thought to himself and giving his attention back to the captain.

"That'd be murder," Book advised.

"Boy made a decision," Mal reminded everyone.

"He didn't shoot her," Inara spoke.

"No, but somebody else did and I'm scratching my head as to why we ain't dealt with him," Jayne responded. He shook out his fingers because he was starting to get a cramp in his hand from clenching to tight. He wanted to let loose his frustration on that _gorram _fed.

"Kill a fed? Can you think of a stupider thing to do?" Zoe stepped in.

"He can I.D. us," Jayne growled, leaning heavily on the table to show Zoe he wasn't going to back down.

Zoe simply gave him a stern look and dismissed him with a turn of her head. Jayne clenched his hands and punched his thigh lightly, leaning back and gritting his teeth in anger. Roz made a small movement away from him and Jayne forced himself to take a calming breath. As angry as he was, and he knew he would most likely be even more angry later, he didn't want to scare Roz. _She's gonna have to get it in that thick skull of hers that I won't hit her_.

"If you want to throw me out the air lock, fine," Simon replied. "But River is not a part of this."

"Can we maybe vote on the whole murdering people issue?" Wash added.

"We don't vote on my ship because my ship is not the rutting town hall."

"This is insanity," Inara shook her head in exasperation.

"I like to think that we're a ways beyond that now, sir," Wash reminded the captain. "We're gonna talk this through," Wash whispered to Zoe with a look that said she should pitch in at anytime.

"I will not sit by while there's killing," Shepherd Book shook his head in exasperation.

"Neither…neither will I," Roz spoke softly and hesitantly. Jayne flashed her a quieting look but she didn't back down this time.

"Shut up!" Mal roared. Jayne felt Roz flinch at the loud command as she unknowingly eased back towards his thick frame. He placed a long arm on the back of the chair. If Jayne thought on it for awhile, he would have come to the realization that he was marking his territory. He wanted to protect Roz, and no one would harm her and make her feel afraid. "The way it is, is the way it is. We gotta deal with what's in front of us."

"Mal, you know those two wouldn't survive a day in Whitefall anyway," Inara pleaded. "You throw them out, I'm leaving too."

Mal turned his head to look down at her. His jaw clenched as if he were trying to say something but he wouldn't allow himself. Instead he replied, "it might be best you do. You ain't a part of this business." He gave her a last look before walking past her and out into the corridor. Jayne nearly leaped out of the chair and followed the captain. He wanted to ask about the prisoner and how far he could actually be tortured. He paused, however, in the doorway as Simon raced by him after the captain, stopping the older man outside in the hallway.

"What business is that exactly?" Simon asked with a sneer on his face. Jayne had to keep back a whoop of glee as he smelled a potential fight brewing in the air. He picked up a coffee cup that had been sitting out on the counter from his last meal and quickly filled it to the brim watching the show unravel before his eyes. "I'm a dead man, I can't know?" Mal fixed him with a slow hard look. "Is it gold? Drugs, pirate treasure? What is it that makes you so afraid of the Alliance?"

"You don't want to go down this road with me, boy," Mal shook his head with a rueful smile.

"Oh, you're not afraid of them? I already know you'd sell me out to them for a pat on the head. Hell, you should probably be working for them. You certainly fit the profi…"

Mal swung his arm back and punched Simon right in the face. Simon fell down hard. The Captain looked down at him as Simon wiped the blood from his face for the second time.

"I saw that comin'," Jayne spoke from the doorway with a harsh laugh. He turned around and looked at Roz, the smile instantly disappearing from his face when she looked at him with sadness and fear. The rest of the crew had slowly left the dining area, having their fill of drama for the day.

"What?" Jayne shrugged as he walked around the table and into the kitchen. Roz stood and followed him, simply staring at him as he put his cup in the sink and proceeded to wash it.

"What you lookin' at me for? You'd think I killed yur cat or somethin'."

"No Jayne, I guess I just don't understand. How can you…" Roz took a deep breath and started over again. "Simon seems to really care for his sister, doesn't that mean anything to you?"

He growled as he walked around her, not wanting to feel the dirtiness she made him feel. They deserved what they get…well maybe not the girl…but she's with him and Simon's presence threatened the lives of everyone on the ship including Roz. Jayne's thoughts were swirling through his head creating a massive headache. The others would surely laugh if they found out he even had a single thought. They all thought he was stupid. That was good, because the more they underestimated him, the more dangerous he became.

"Jayne, do you know what's going to happen to them? Can they even survive on their own on Whitefall or…" Roz bit her lip and fumbled with the end of her sweater. "What if the captain pushes them off the ship before we even reach Whitefall?"

"_Gorramit_ girl!" Jayne slammed his newly washed cup onto the counter causing the handle to break off. Roz jumped back at his fierce exclamation and clasped her hands over her mouth to keep from screaming. She watched him warily pacing back and forth her body shaking as she pressed herself against the wall. Her eyes instantly scanned the exits, knowing where to run if he became violent. He suddenly stopped and walked towards her with the gracefulness of a cat and a look of fierceness in his eyes. His manner was nothing like the calm and kind man she had met earlier in the day. This was a calculating look, the face he no doubt put on when facing hardened criminals and dangerous con-men. She knew she should feel afraid, and there was a part of her who was still desperate to run away, but even at his angriest Jayne was still nothing like _him_. This was the true Jayne who wasn't trying to hide himself because he was afraid how she would react.

"Do you know who I am woman? I'm an assassin. I'm a contract killer. I get paid and then I kill. I ain't worried about those two kids."

Roz looked down at the ground with her eyes closed tightly. Lifting her head high, she forced herself to look deep into his eyes and ask the question that required all her courage. "Then what are you worried about?" she asked softly.

"What?" he asked her with a furrowed brow. His eyes roving over her face as if looking for a sign of ridicule or deceit.

Roz steeled herself to continue with her line of questioning. She had no idea where this stroke of inquisitiveness came from. She was always taught to listen, don't talk or ask questions, and most certainly not to disobey orders. Roz had listened quite a lot today, but she had certainly bent and broken the last two rules. "You are obviously agitated about something. So if you're not worried about the death of two innocent lives, then what is so bad that it could worry you?"

Jayne shut his mouth and stood up straight and glared at the doorway. "I've got work to do." Without a backwards glance to the petite redhead he walked out of the room intent on whatever path he was taking.

Roz sank onto the kitchen table chair and placed her head in her palm. _That hadn't gone as well as I had hoped_. "You're doing a fantastic job Rozalyn." A voice spoke from the doorway. Roz jumped out of the chair, the weight of her growing stomach causing her to tip forwards but was stopped by placing a hand on the table.

"Shepherd Book, you startled me." Roz placed a hand over her heart and gave a brief smile to the dark man in the doorway.

"My apologies Rozalyn, I didn't mean to frighten you," Book gave her a soft smile before taking the seat across from her at the table. "Forgive me for being too forward, but I see the way you move around men, the hesitancy in your decisions, and of course the bruising on your face. I take it you didn't leave behind a joyful life?"

Roz's eyes widened as she realized no one in the five years of living with _him _had asked her about what had happened. Everyone who lived near them already knew the nightly beatings she took but just didn't care, or were too scared to ask.

She shrugged in response to his question. "I suppose you could say that."

"Rozalyn, I'm not going to ask you for the details because that should be given when you decide to confide in someone. However, I did want to ask you, if you have the Lord in your heart."

Roz looked away from the Shepherd with the knowing eyes. He was plunging too close to her damaged soul. "Shepherd Book, I'm afraid I don't even know much about your Lord. I didn't grow up in a deeply religious home and I don't even know if I could love a God who let me be…allowed me to have the life I did…but I do enjoy hearing about those stories you tell, in that Bible. And I like the peace you have. It's something I've always wanted for me and my baby. To not be afraid anymore."

"Well my dear," Book reached a hand out slowly and tapped her forearm gently. "I would say you're on the right path."

**Sorry I didn't get this updated at my normal time. This weekend was really busy with Memorial Day and family get-togethers. I really enjoyed writing this chapter because we got to see the anger in Jayne and Roz trying to cope with the fact that everyone gets angry they just aren't going to hit her like _him_. **

**So some of you may have noticed the change of POV from Jayne to Roz later in the chapter. I'm fiddling a bit with how I want the story to read and I've come to the decision that I don't want it from only one character, like I was starting out. We're going to have more of an omniscient voice so we can hear from both Jayne and Roz. We'll see how that goes and let me know your thoughts, if it's too confusing for you or you like it.**

**Thanks again for all those readers who have been reviewing. I noticed I have quite a few people adding my story to their favorites but not reviewing. Please take time to write a quick note even if it's to say it sucks (however I would like to be told why you think it sucks and not just a flame). I'll be sure to update at my regular time this weekend.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Firefly, only Roz.**

**Chapter Seven**

Dobson, the Fed, sat tied up in the chair with a piece of duct tape to his mouth. In the preacher's short time with the prisoner, he was able to obtain the man's last name and told the rest of the crew; which was good because no one else knew his name and just kept calling him The Fed or _qing wa cao de liu mang (you may want to look that one up yourselves)_. Jayne stood solemnly in the corner watching the captain stalk back and forth in front of Dobson, instilling fear into the Alliance member. He would normally be salivating at the mouth for the task that was at hand but his mind was still on the argument he had with Roz. He barely knew the girl and for some reason he could not get her out of his head. This was dangerous in his line of work…it could very well get him killed.

Mal walked over to the prisoner and ripped the tape off his mouth, earning a hiss of pain from the beady-eyed man.

"I'm in a tricky position, I guess you know," Mal said as he walked towards Jayne. "Got me a boatload of terribly strange folk makin' my life a little more interesting then I generally like. Chief among them an Alliance mole, likes to shoot at girls when he's nervous." The comment earned a low growl from Jayne. He itched to go for his gun that was attached to his hip.

"Now I gotta know how close the Alliance is, exactly how much you told them before Wash scrambled your call." Mal looked Dobson up and down with a glint of perverse pleasure in his eye. "So…I've given Jayne here the job of finding out."

Mal gestured to Jayne who came out of the shadows. Jayne smiled at the Fed and pulled a thick knife out of its scabbard. "He was nonspecific as to how," Jayne nearly laughed at the look of horror found on the man's face.

Mal turned to Jayne, "now you're only gonna scare him," he said in a soft voice.

"Pain is scary," Jayne replied with a completely serious look.

"Just do it right," Mal urged as he walked out the door. Jayne watched as the captain left and shut the door, effectively trapping the prisoner in with the mercenary. Jayne now turned his attention to the officer seated before him. Slowly he walked toward Dobson, savoring every bit of fear the man exuded.

"You have any idea how much trouble you're in?" The lawman frantically spurted out anxious to fill the silence of the room.

"Gee, I never been in trouble with the law before," Jayne replied sarcastically as he pulled up a stool in front of the man and sat down.

"No, not like this you haven't. You think this is just a smuggling rap? The package that boy is carrying…"

"It's a girl…" Jayne interjected. "She's cute too. Except I don't think she's all there, you know." He pointed the knife to his head as if the mere action would suffice to explain everything. "Course, not all of her has to be," he shrugged in thoughtfulness.

"As if you even looked at her, I saw how you eyed the pregnant woman," Dobson scoffed, thinking Jayne too dim-witted to understand the threat.

Jayne's eyes flashed in anger and in a mere blur he had the man balancing on the back legs of his chair with his face plastered against the wall. Dobson choked as Jayne's fingers tightened around the man's neck. "Stay on topic," Jayne whispered menacingly in the man's ear. "If you ever bring her up, I'll gut you like a pig." Jayne let go and the chair dropped to sit on all four legs. It took a couple of minutes for the man to begin breathing correctly and Jayne merely relaxed and watched the prisoner attempt a response.

"That girl is a precious commodity. They'll come after her. Long after you bury me, they'll be coming." The man sputtered out in fear of Jayne nearly crushing his larynx again.

Jayne looked at him for a long time before splitting into a large grin. "Oh, I'm not gonna kill you, Dobson." Jayne patted the knife on the Fed's knee. "What's your first name?" Jayne asked as an afterthought.

Dobson sighed and looked as if he wasn't going to say but he managed to get out, "Lawrence."

"Lawrence, Ah," Jayne scoffed. "I'm just gonna cut on ya till you tell me how much they know."

"They know everything. They know every name, every record. They know how many…nose hairs you've got."

Jayne sat there and stared Dobson in the eye. Not a sound passed between the men. Jayne suddenly reared back and stood up. "Now see, they don't know a damn thing," he groaned. "It's all over your face. I ain't even…" Jayne wagged his knife in the man's direction disappointment evident in the mercenary's face. "I was gonna get me a ear too." Jayne started towards the door but turned back. "Aren't you an officer of the law? Well don't they teach you how to withstand interrogation? You can't even tell a damn lie."

"Okay…I can see you're not an idiot," Dobson replied warily.

"Wish I could say the same, Lawrence, but this is disappointing as hell," Jayne commented wearily.

"Let me speak a language you will understand…money." The mention of money perked Jayne's ears up and he began to listen intently. "This girl is worth a lot of money. I mean a lot. Now you kill me, there's nothing. But, if you help me out, you'll have enough to buy your own ship. Better one than this piece of crap."

Jayne pondered the offer. "Does helping you out mean turning on the captain?"

"Yes it does," Dobson nodded.

Jayne only replied with a small grin and chose to sit carefully back down, listening intently to Dobson's supposed plan. Thoughts of being Captain of the ship and issuing orders flitted dreamily threw his mind.

_**fireflyfireflyfirefly**_

"What's one of your favorite stories Shepherd?" Roz asked putting her hands on the table and resting her chin on top.

"Well, there are a lot of good stories little one," Book sighed. Roz had to bite back a smile at the small endearment he let slip. No one had ever given her a nickname before. "But just one of my favorite stories is the one about David and Goliath."

"Can you tell me about it?" Roz asked sincerely.

"Of course, now where should I begin," Book pondered delicately.

"David was just a small boy, a shepherd actually; he would herd the sheep all day long so he wasn't very strong not like his brothers. During that time there was a small skirmish going on between two groups of people. One of the groups that David and his family belonged to believed in God, the other called the Philistines did not believe there was a God, or at least a one true God.

"The Philistines sent forth a giant man named Goliath to beat the Godly people of Judah. However, everyone was too scared to face Goliath because they were afraid they would be instantly slaughtered. But there was one boy who wasn't afraid, David."

"Why wasn't he afraid? I wouldn't want to go up against a giant," Roz murmured instantly entranced by the story.

"Well David wasn't afraid because he knew God was on his side. So here was a small boy with no armor, no sword and only a sling shot and five stones as his weapon. He stood before Goliath who dared to blaspheme the name of God and was prepared to defeat him. He took his sling shot and fired one stone directly at Goliath hitting him on the forehead killing him instantly."

"He died from a stone?" Roz asked in disbelief. "That doesn't sound very possible."

"But that is what is great about the Lord. He always keeps you guessing and nothing is out of the realm of possibility by the One who created our universe."

"So," Roz nodded her head slowly as she tried to contemplate everything she just heard. "In a way, the Captain and his crew are David as they battle the Alliance, who would be Goliath."

"In some way or another my dear, we are all like David, it is only when we understand that God is with us where ever we go and in anything we do we don't need to be afraid."

"I don't want to be afraid anymore," Roz softly uttered. "But I still am." She looked over her shoulder as if expecting _him _to be right behind her ready to drag her back.

"Even I become afraid sometimes, we all do, but do you know what I do when that happens?"

"What?"

"I pray."

Roz furrowed her brows in confusion. _Wasn't praying just talking to God? How can talking help you from being unafraid? _"What do you pray about?"

"I ask God to calm me and not be afraid."

"And…does that work?"

"Everytime."

"This is the captain." A voice came over the intercom causing Roz to jump. "We're passing another ship. Looks to be Reavers. From the size, probably a raiding party. Could be they're headed somewhere particular. Could be they already hit someone and they're full up. So everyone stay calm. We try to run, they'll have to chase us. It's their way. We're holding course. We should be passing them in a minute. So we'll see what they do." Mal paused before speaking again, "Zoe you come on up to the bridge."

Zoe was just passing the doorway and stuck her head into the dining area and spoke solemnly. "I would say that now is a perfect time to do some praying."

Simon and Inara were right behind Zoe and decided to walk into the large room and join the others. Inara sat down shakily next to Roz, her beautiful face paler than usual, while Simon positioned himself in front of Zoe, confusion on his face. "Uh, I don't understand."

"You've never head of reavers?" Zoe looked him up and down in disbelief.

"Uh…campfire stories…men gone savage on the edge of space, killing…"

"They're not stories," Zoe replied earning a gasp from Roz who clapped her hands over her mouth to keep from issuing any further noises, her eyes wide with fear.

Simon looked at Roz before turning back to Zoe, "what happens if they board us?"

"If they take the ship, they'll rape us to death, eat our flesh and sew our skins into their clothing. And if we're very, very lucky; they'll do it in that order."

Roz crossed her arms over her protruding belly, hoping she wouldn't throw up and wishing she could protect her unborn child from the insane dangers of the world. No matter where she went, trouble seemed to follow. Rocking gently back and forth she found the only comfort was being with others who she had come to like and respect.

Zoe left quickly after that, obeying the Captain's orders, and Simon sank slowly into a chair at the table. The dining area was quiet, each person reflecting on their own thoughts, caught up in their own lives. Book looked at her across from the table and he silently mouthed the word "pray" before closing his own eyes and bowing his head.

What was the point of praying? What if she prayed and nothing happened, she would feel quite foolish. Roz bit her lip and out of her nervousness she fiddled with her sweater, realizing it was beginning to become a bad habit and by the end of her journey on Serenity there would likely be a large gaping hole near the bottom. Reluctantly Roz closed her eyes and bowed her head, just as she had seen Book do.

_God, I don't know if you're listening, or if you're even there. But I'm afraid now, about what the Reavers will do if they catch us. I left **him** because I wanted my baby to be safe, what if I put him or her in even more danger? Please help me to not be afraid. Please protect us and make me feel safe…uh…thanks?_

Roz opened her eyes expecting to feel foolish but instead, she felt a small amount of peace. Looking up, she noticed a figure standing in the doorway. Turning she was surprised to see Jayne standing there staring at her with a mixture of concern and readiness in his eyes. He held in his arms a massive gun and a couple smaller ones attached to his gun belt. He looked ready to go to war.

Roz's heart nearly stopped as she realized maybe Jayne was the answer to her prayers. She was praying to feel safe and how could she feel any safer than in the company of Jayne. Smiling she nodded gently at Jayne who jerked his head quickly in acknowledgment. She hoped they could put their small argument behind them now.

Feeling as if hours had passed, a low voice sounded throughout the ship. "Everything's shiny now. Reavers have passed. We're in the all clear."

Roz let out a deep reassuring breath and looked to Jayne with a big smile on her face. Jayne slouched against the door jamb for only a moment a look of relief crossing his face before standing up and joining them at the table.

"Well, I'm very glad that is over," Shepherd Book said as he stood from his seat, stretching slightly.

"I agree," Inara concurred, rising gracefully from her position at the table. "I think I'm going to go to my room and bask in the feel of not being killed by Reavers."

"I will escort you there, and then check in on Kaylee" Shepherd Book stated gallantly as they walked arm in arm out of the dining area. Apparently whatever feelings of uncertainty they had about each other was in the past.

Simon stood up and spoke to Roz who was the only one paying attention. "I better go down to the infirmary as well. Oh wait Inara said she had some immunization packets I could use." He raced to the door and looked out into the hall as if hoping to catch up with them.

"Oh, Doctor, if it's all right, I would…well I would like to see Kaylee as well," Roz stated shyly as she rose to her feet, carefully watching her balance.

"Of course, would you like me to walk with you?" Simon asked looking hesitantly at Jayne.

"I'll take care of it Doc," Jayne growled at the man who took a step back towards the door.

"Miss Bennett?" Simon looked at her. She had to give him credit for defying Jayne's fierce look.

"It's all right Doctor," Roz smiled while staring at Jayne the entire time. "I'll be alright."

"Ok then," Simon slinked out the door, sending a look of uncertainty over his shoulder before walking out of sight.

"You all right?" Jayne grunted looking her up and down.

"Of course I'm all right," Roz looked down at herself, confused as to why he was asking.

"Well," Jayne looked down at his big feet and shuffled awkwardly bringing a smile to her face. "I just…I didn't mean to blow up. I shouldn'tve yelled at ya."

"I understand Jayne," Roz nodded, this time it was her turn to become shy. She pulled a piece of hair behind her ear and looked down at her growing belly. "I understand you're going to get mad Jayne. And I was a little afraid, but I didn't think you would hit me."

"I would never hit you." The voice coming from Jayne was so cold yet filled with such emotion she had to look up. His eyes told Roz all she needed to know. He would never lay a hand on her that would cause her pain. "I know what it's like to see…see someone get hurt is all. I would never hit a woman…well unless she tried to kill me…or maim me…or try and kill someone I knew…or…"

Roz let out a soft laugh as she saw Jayne wrestle with his conflicting thoughts. "I understand Jayne. I would want you to hit someone if they were trying to kill you."

Jayne merely grunted as he fiddled with the gun in his hands.

"Well, now that we're out of danger, for the moment, I'll think I'll head down and check on Kaylee. Do…do you want to join me?"

"Maybe later," Jayne nodded. "I should see what's goin on up top with Mal."

Roz passed Jayne at the doorway and started to descend the stairs, noticing that he was still watching her.

Unsure of what to say she muttered, "I'll see you later then?" Roz traced patterns on her large belly as she looked up bashfully.

"Mmhmm," Jayne grunted as he looked around as if confused as to what to do and then simply turned around and walked towards the front of the ship.

Roz smiled at Jayne's retreating form, she found it endearing that he didn't really know how to talk to her. _Maybe it's nerves?_

Heading down to the infirmary she was almost crushed against the railing by Simon as he ran right past her. "Sorry Miss Bennett," he cried out as he continued to run down the stairs.

"Oh, no," Roz moaned as she assumed the worst. "Not Kaylee."

Rushing as much as she could, Roz raced down the steps and made it to the infirmary only minutes behind Simon. Looking in she was confused and elated to see Kaylee sitting up and chatting with Shepherd Book. Looking at Simon who was leaning over gasping for air, she saw anger radiating throughout his body.

"What is it Simon?" Roz asked as she stood next to the kindly doctor.

"The Captain is a psycho leading me to believe that Kaylee was…dead."

"Well, that is a cruel joke indeed," Roz frowned in simmering anger. "I'm sure the Captain will be very sorry when he realizes what he's done."

"I highly doubt that Miss Bennett."

_**fireflyfireflyfirefly**_

Jayne, Wash, Mal, and Zoe stood in the cockpit laughing uproariously as the Captain told them how he scared the crap out of Simon.

"You are psychotic," Wash managed to say past the laughter and tears.

"No, you should've seen his face. Oh, I'm a bad man." Mal spoke with a large grin.

Jayne slapped his knee as he imagined the look on the pale faced girly doctor. He sorely wished he could have been there.

"And Kaylee's really okay?" Zoe asked, just wanting to make sure.

"Yeah," Mal nodded soberly. "To tell the truth, I didn't expect her to heal this quick. Doctor knows his trade I'll give him that."

A series of soft beeps broke everyone's concentration and had them focused on the series of buttons and gadgets on Wash's panel.

"Being hailed," Wash spoke as he turned in his chair, laughter falling to the wayside as the crew members grew serious.

"That'd be Patience," Mal nodded. "We're close enough for vid. Put her up."

Wash moved out of the chair so Mal could sit down and he pushed a couple of buttons and shortly later a picture of an older woman wearing a wide brimmed cowboy hat appeared on one of the small screens.

If Jayne didn't know any better he would have thought her harmless, but since their last meeting with one another, he was going to be prepared for anything. He slouched against the wall, behind the captain, with one hand on his gun. Jayne obviously knew he couldn't shoot her, but he hoped to look imposing enough that she would think twice before double crossing them.

"Malcolm Reynolds?" the woman spoke with an annoyed voice.

"Hello Patience." Mal responded with a cheeky grin.

"I have to say, I didn't look to be hearin' from you anytime soon."

"Well, we may not have parted on the best of terms," Mal conceded to the older woman. "I realize certain words were exchanged. Also certain…bullets. But that's air through the engine. It's past. We're business people. Besides, your days of fighting over salvage rights are long behind you, what I hear. What, are you Mayor now?

"Just about." Patience replied. "You tellin' the truth about that cargo? 'Cause your asking price is a bit too reasonable for that much treasure."

"It's imprinted – Alliance – hence the discount."

"Oh, Government goods huh?"

"That doesn't work for you, no harm. Just thought you could use…"

"Alliance don't scare me," Patience interrupted with a frown on her already wrinkled face. "Just collatin' data, as they say." After a moment's pause Patience pursed her lips and nodded her head in agreement. "I like that you're up front about it. We can deal. I'll upload coordinates for a rendezvous point outside of town."

"See you in the world," Mal nodded in goodbye and turned off the screen. He sat there staring into nothing as his thoughts ran quickly through his brain, attempting to make sense of what he had just heard.

Jayne sighed heavily and stood up straight, his hand falling away from his gun as he leaned against one of the consoles. The conversation had not gone well.

"I believe," Mal spoke slowly, "that woman's plannin' to shoot me again."

"She meant to pay you, she'd have haggled you down some," Jayne spoke roughly with a shake of his head.

"Just a little effort to hide it would've been…" Wash spoke but was quickly cut off by Mal who threw a metal plate onto the floor.

Jayne stood at the ready, not liking it when the Captain grew angry because fists started flyin' every which way when that happened.

"Sir, we don't have to deal with her," Zoe spoke hesitantly.

"Yes we do," Mal sighed.

"Here's a little concept I been workin' on," Jayne said as he walked heavily towards Mal. "Why don't we shoot her first?"

"It is her turn." Wash nodded sagely.

"That doesn't get us what we need either," Mal commented.

Jayne threw up his hands in frustration and went back to leaning against the wall. His fingers caressed the butt of his gun and he realized whenever he was anxious to shoot someone, his gun ironically seemed to calm him down. It made him think of Roz and how she would pull at the bottom of her sweater whenever she was nervous. Shaking her out of his thoughts, he focused on the problem at hand.

"There's moons on this belt we ain't seen. We could try our luck…" Zoe said as she attempted to come up with another plan.

"Our luck?" Mal asked incredulously. "You notice anything particular about our luck these past few days? Any kind of pattern? You depend on luck, you end up on the drift. No fuel, no prospects, beggin' for alliance make-work, getting' towed out to the scrap belt. That ain't us. Not ever. Patience has got the money to pay. And she will, one way or another. There's obstacles in our path, and we're gonna deal with 'em. One by one. We'll get through this. We will."

Despite the frustration, the angry words, and his mutinous thoughts Jayne had with the Captain since he came aboard, he respected him for what he was…a survivor. Jayne was a survivor as well.

He eased out of the cockpit silently and made way to his bunk. If he was goin' to live through this, he was gonna make sure he was packin' enough fire power to blast himself outta hell. Jayne would do anything to live, and that's what made him dangerous.

**I really liked this chapter. It was a bit longer but we get to see a lot of things. First we see Jayne's glee in the torture of Dobson and how Roz seems to inject herself in his thoughts and it's beginning to affect his work. But I like the end of the scene where Jayne is listening to the Fed's plan for overthrowing the ship. Jayne hasn't changed that much since Roz came on board. He wants the ship for himself and if he ever found a good enough deal he would probably take it at this stage in his life. Later on…he might be a little more loyal, or maybe not, what do you all think?**

**We get to see more of Jayne and how he thinks about certain things on the ship, while Roz gets closer to Book and learns more about his faith. This will be a constant through the series, Roz will grow closer to God and Jayne, but she's taking baby steps for now.**

**Hope everyone's enjoying it because I certainly love writing it. There may only be a couple chapters left for this story. I plan to do roughly, a story per episode. I may push episodes together for one story, we'll see how it goes. Thank you to those who've been consistently reviewing, it's very much appreciated. Thanks!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Firefly or any of Joss Whedon's characters. I only own Roz and the baby she carries. **

**Warning: There is some violence in this chapter.**

**Chapter Eight**

Roz was slowly walking from the infirmary. She enjoyed spending time with Kaylee but to be quite honest, she was exhausted. It had been a long hard day and she was ready to fall into bed. "Roz," a voice called out behind her. She paused on the steps to look and see who was calling her name. She was pleased to see Jayne making his way around boxes and equipment to reach her.

"Roz, we're goin' to be settin' down soon enough and I would _like_ it if you were to stay safe and sound in your bunk."

"Now, this would be a suggestion and not an order, right Jayne?" Roz responded with a small smile.

Jayne frowned down at her with his hands making tight fists by his side. It took him a moment before he let out a grunt, which Roz assumed was a yes. "Jayne I would love to go to my bunk, however…I don't know exactly where it is."

"I'll show ya," Jayne jerked his head back towards the infirmary. "Yur past the Doc's place and in the back." Roz tiredly followed Jayne back the way she came looking in at Kaylee as they passed. Soon she was standing in a small room with a tiny bed and closet…and it was absolutely perfect. Looking at Jayne, Roz noticed he was tense and glancing furtively at the door.

"What are you going to be doing on Whitefall Jayne?" Roz asked suspiciously as she sank down with a quiet groan of gratitude on the bed.

"Captain needs to do a quick exchange is all," Jayne shrugged carelessly. "Shouldn't nobody run afoul."

"So…you'll be safe?" Roz asked tentatively as she fluffed her pillow on the bed.

"It'll be all good Roz," Jayne stiffened as he walked towards the door. "I'll come'n see ya when I get back."

"Just be careful Jayne," Roz spoke at his departing back. "I'll pray for you." With a sigh, she toed off her shoes and swung her legs onto the bed. Closing her eyes, Roz prayed furtively until sleep finally claimed her.

_**fireflyfireflyfirefly**_

"You know the plan, right Jayne?" Mal asked as he checked to make sure his gun worked before re-holstering the weapon.

"I know what I'm doin' Captain," Jayne grunted as he jumped onto the mule and pulled the goggle's down over his eyes to keep the dust out. He was ready to get this thing done and over so he could…what? He narrowed his eyes and felt decidedly uncomfortable when he realized he wanted to talk with Roz when he was done. "That woman's goin' to be the ruttin death of me," he murmured to himself and received odd looks from Zoe and Mal.

The moment Serenity touched down Zoe and Mal walked calmly down the ramp while Jayne drove quickly around them on the mule. The bumpy ride allowed him to clear Roz from his mind and focus on their mission. They needed to get rid of the cargo quickly and receive the money they were rightly due. Hurrying as fast as he could, Jayne found a spot to bury the containers and returned back to the ship. He stowed away the mule before standing next to Mal and Zoe. He dug into his coat pocket and handed one of the bars to the Captain. He didn't realize the Captain had put the gold bars in with the food Patience was expecting.

"I buried 'em good. The equipment's back on the boat." Jayne crossed his arms over his broad chest and looked out at the expanse of the valley, rocks and brush jutted out over low hills and a few birds called out to each other as they circled above. Jayne frowned as he felt like a piece of dead meat the birds were waiting to grab. If they weren't careful, they would soon be food for the birds. It was a great place for an ambush so Jayne had to be on his toes.

"All right. Patience is gonna figure we buried the cargo. Which means putting us to our ease 'fore there's any action. She'll come at us from the east, talk the location out of us. She'll have the coin to show us first. We get it, give the location, snipers hit us from there and there." Mal pointed up along the hills at two different spots.

Jayne followed his finger and narrowed his eyes as if hoping to be able to see them from their current position. "You figure they're in place yet?"

"Should be. Feel like taking a walk around the park?"

Jayne grinned as he felt the adrenaline course through his body. He was ready for action and quite frankly, ready to hurt people. Ever since…she…came on the ship he didn't feel like himself. He felt as if he were hiding a part of himself from her and the rest of the crew. Now, he could do what he had been made to do, kill.

"Sure you don't wanna back down like you did with Badger?" Jayne smirked as he slowly began to back away, not resisting the attempt to poke at the Captain. Mal's head turned to Jayne's direction and sent him a scathing look that the big mercenary expected. Jayne liked making Mal angry before a meet because it gave the Captain an edge.

"Walk soft. I want Patience thinking they're still in place. Don't kill anyone if you don't have to. We're here to make a deal." Jayne gave a small nod before turning his back on the two crew members and climbing the hills quickly.

When he grew close to the first spot Mal pointed out, Jayne crouched low to the ground and took his gun out. Aiming low, the big man moved cat like through the brush, a silent predator in search of his prey. Jayne caught sight of the idiot man. The sniper rifle sat to the side, untouched as the man took a nap, apparently waiting for Patience to radio him whenever he was supposed to ready himself. Jayne snuck up easily on the man and before the thug even knew it he was dead. Pushing the body to the side Jayne picked up the rifle and went in hunt for the next victim.

The second man was a bit more wary. He lay on his stomach, rifle in hand and no doubt sighted on Mal and Zoe, however he wasn't paying much attention to what else was going on around him. Jayne brought the rifle he carried down on the other man's head knocking him unconscious, followed by a swift crack of the neck and he was dead instantly.

Jayne took a moment to look down at the man he had just killed and wondered if it was necessary, the Captain's parting words ringing in his ears. The man was unconscious after all, there was no reason he needed to die. Growling low, Jayne kicked the body off the small cliff and watched it roll down the incline. _Of course he needed to die._ From his experience, men left unconscious were only given the opportunity to come back and kill a man. Jayne didn't let people live if there was a chance they would come back and kill him, he learned the hard way a long time ago. Why would he think there could be any other way?

Easing down to the ground, Jayne pulled his cap out of a back pocket and flipped it onto his head. Keeping the setting sun out of his eyes while he checked the rifle to make sure everything worked and there was plenty of ammunition. Setting his sights on Mal and Zoe, Jayne settled in. A sense of calm overtaking him as he made sure his comm was on and watched as Patience and her crew approached.

Remembering the conversation he had with Dobson, Jayne panned his sights from Patience to Mal who stood with his hand over his holster looking purposefully bored. Jayne gritted his teeth as his trigger finger itched to put a bullet in the Captain's head. _Just think, you could be Captain of Serenity. No one would tell you what to do. You'd be the boss. It's what you've always wanted_. Dobson even offered Jayne some money if he were to kill the Captain. Quite honestly, Jayne was confused why the Captain wasn't dead yet. A picture of Roz formed in Jayne's mind and he sighed loudly as he knew she would hate him if he killed the Captain. _In fact, everyone on Serenity would hate you and most likely try and kill you for murdering their beloved Captain._ Jayne frowned as he realized he didn't want them to hate him. Shaking his head, Jayne turned his attention back to what was going on below him. The Captain would live to fly another day…for now.

"I don't see my cargo anywhere." Jayne heard Patience say softly over the comm. Mal and Zoe came in loud and clear but Patience's voice was barely picking up. He panned between Mal and Patience as they discussed payment.

"And you're not gonna 'til I'm holding two hundred in platinum."

"Oh, come on Reynolds. I'm supposed to take it on faith you've got the goods?"

Jayne pans over to Mal who takes the bar from his coat pocket and throws it to Patience. She looks at it warily for a moment, rips off the foil and puts it close to her nose, smelling it.

"It's pure Patience. Genuine A-grade foodstuffs. Protein, vitamins, immunization supplements. One of those'll feed a family for a month. Longer, if they don't like their kids too well."

Patience nibbles the end and nods her head before wrapping it back up. "Yeah, that's the stuff." She reaches for her pocket and instantly Jayne is ready but she pulls out a small bag and throws it to Mal. Jayne forces himself to relax before setting his sights on Mal. "So where's the rest?"

Mal looks into the bag and counts the money before handing it over to Zoe. "We buried it, so you and your men are going to want to walk about a couple feet south then east half a mile, bottom of the first hill. You'll see where it's been dug."

"I reckon I will," Patience nodded.

"Well then," Mal rocked back on the balls of his feet impatiently.

"Yep."

After a moment of silence, Jayne felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up straight. This was the moment he had been waiting for.

"I'd appreciate it y'all turn around and ride out first," Mal spoke congenially but there was a hint of hardness in his voice.

"Well, you see, there's a kind of hitch."

"Both made out on this deal. Don't complicate things."

"I got a rule. I never let go of money I don't have to. Which is maybe why I'm running this little world and you're still on the dinky old boat sniffing for scraps."

Jayne tightened his left fist as he saw Mal take the money bag back from Zoe and throw it to Patience. "Got the money back. There's no need for killin'."

"We're just gonna walk away sir?" Zoe asked softly.

"Guess that's up to Patience here. Could be messy."

"Not terribly," the older woman chuckled. "Mal, you just ain't very bright are you?"

Jayne let out a soft laugh, he could agree with her at times. Mal stepped forward and nodded to one of the men. Jayne tried to pan around and see who he was looking at, but it was very difficult from far away.

"That's quite a rifle. Boy must be your best shot to carry that."

"He's called Two-fry. Always makes it quick and clean," Patience replied with pride in her voice.

"Two-Fry," Mal smiled. "Nice hat."

Jayne, who had been scanning Patience's men, grinned when he saw a scruffy looking man with a shiny top hat. A quick pull of his trigger sent the man clean off his horse. The shot triggered a string of chaotic events. Men were diving off their horses to gain some coverage, bullets flew everywhere, and movement kicked up the dust so Jayne had a hard time picking off the men. Jayne spotted a bald head behind a rock so he angled the rifle and took the top of the man's head clean off, watching as the body slumped to the side.

Jayne ducked low as the men began pointing up in his general direction. They knew there was a sniper up there but didn't know exactly where. Spotting a man on horse Jayne aimed and missed. "_Hwin dan!_" (A**hole) Before he could fire again, Jayne's man fell off the horse and face planted in the dust. Looking around, he saw Zoe stand painfully up holding a gun at the runaway man. Jayne had to admit, Zoe was a pretty fearsome woman and at times he wondered who would win in a fight between them. Turning his attention back to the scene, he realized the only people left alive were Patience and one other man. The thug already dropped his gun and put his hands in the air. Jayne smirked as the little man quivered in his dusty boots. Pulling up the rifle Jayne decided Mal and Zoe could deal with the remaining two individuals on their own.

Standing up, Jayne crack his back and stretched, he looked up into the sky briefly and was shocked to see something glinting off in the distance. Not many people came to Whitefall so the presence of another ship was suspicious to say the least. Walking down the hill Jayne strained his eyes as he peered into the bright blue sky. The ship grew steadily closer and Jayne saw the tell tale sign of black smoke. It could only mean one thing.

"Jayne?" A voice echoed through his comm and Jayne tapped it impatiently.

"Yeah?"

"You gotta get out of there. You've got…"

"I know Wash. I'm grabbing the others now." Jayne blanched as he ran down the hill towards Mal and Zoe. They needed to get back to Serenity.

Mal was grabbing the money bag back from patience when Jayne skidded to a stop beside them. "Mal! It's Wash! We got a ship coming in. They followed us. The gorram Reavers followed us!"

**Ok, so I am so sorry about the lack of updating properly. I hadn't finished the last two chapters because I thought I would have more time over the summer, but that was a big fat lie. I seem to be more busy now then I was during the school year. That's crazy!**

**Anyway, I'll try and finish the story this week so I can update in a timely manner. Please don't throw rocks at me, but feel free to throw reviews my way!**

**I really liked this chapter because we get to see Jayne in his element. Jayne is a violent man and his background has to be riddled with deceit and violence. As Roz struggles to become independent, Jayne will struggle with the fact he has "friends" and people to rely on. His violent nature will be a source of problems between him and Roz. I hope you liked this chapter as much as I liked writing it. **

**Please review!**

**P.S. There were some things I changed or left out from the episode so don't think I'm going crazy.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Firefly characters, that belongs entirely to Mr. Whedon. Roz belongs entirely to me.**

**Chapter Nine**

Roz's eyes blinked open and immediately she scanned the room for _him_. Looking at her surroundings and remembering she was safe on the ship Firefly, Roz took a breath and relaxed on the comfortable bed. The nap proved to be very beneficial as it renewed her strength. She felt as if she were ready for anything. Pushing herself up to a sitting position Roz glared at the shoes she had been wearing earlier. The pair was falling apart with holes in the bottoms; clearly not protecting her feet and her feet were so swollen from the pregnancy she could barely put them on anyway. Deciding to forgo the shoes Roz stood up and exited the room, intent on stopping by and seeing Kaylee. Afterwards, she hoped Jayne we would be back from their meeting because she was a little worried about him…them…all of them.

Roz argued with herself as she walked along the hallway towards the infirmary. She was wishing a safe return for all the crew members who were outside the ship and not just Jayne. _But you really want Jayne to come back safe and sound._ Scowling at how close she had become to Jayne in such a short amount of time, she rounded a few boxes that were stacked along the walkway and nearly ran into a man standing outside the infirmary…a man who looked suspiciously like Dobson…a man who was Dobson…who was supposed to be locked up…and had a gun to the head of River.

"Wha…what's going on?" Roz stammered shaking her head and desperately wishing she was still asleep and this was all a dream.

"What's it look like girly?" Dobson sneered down at her, digging the gun maliciously into River's temple. "I'm getting out of here and I'm taking Crazy with me."

"Roz," a small voice pleaded and she turned her head and looked into the infirmary. Kaylee was trying to sit upright but it was obvious she was in pain. She shook her head at Roz and attempted to mouth something to her when she felt a palm connect with the back of her head. Rubbing her head, Roz looked at Dobson with contempt as he placed his forearm against River's throat and shifted the gun between Roz and Kaylee, keeping both in his line of fire.

"Oh, I'm sorry about what happened before," he spoke to Kaylee in a sarcastic voice. "But if either of you so much as make a sound, the next one goes through your throat." The threat was aimed more at Kaylee, but Dobson's cold eyes lighted on Roz as well and she knew he wouldn't think twice about killing a pregnant woman.

He kept his eyes on both women as he backed down the hall towards the cargo bay. Once out of sight, Roz scurried into the infirmary and placed a hand on Kaylee's arm. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine Momma, just fine," Kaylee gave her a tense smile as her eyes lighted on the communication device on the wall.

"What are we going to do?" Roz asked as she thought of the young girl in the arms of that madman.

"Well, first, you're going to help me up," Kaylee whipped back the sheets and with a grimace turned her body so her legs swung off the side.

"I don't think you should be moving around Kaylee," Roz shook her head warily.

"I'm fine Roz. We need to help River." Kaylee pushed Roz's hands out of the way and attempted to struggle off the hospital bed.

"No," Roz uttered sternly and put a hand on Kaylee's shoulder. "We have a young girl kidnapped by a mad gunmen, you who have been shot, and me a pregnant lady. Now, I'm not going to be responsible for you getting hurt anymore. I'm not going to take any unnecessary risks with this here baby, but I will fight you tooth and nail as long as it keeps you from going on up there."

Kaylee simply stared at Roz for a long moment before sighing and sagging in defeat. "Go to the comm. and press the button. You'll reach Wash."

Roz let out a quick breath of thankfulness. Never before had she stood up to a person like that…and it felt great. Nodding to Kaylee, Roz turned towards the comm. and pressed the button. Glancing quickly at the door to make sure Dobson wasn't lurking nearby; she spoke quietly into the machine.

"Dobson's loose. He took her. He took River."

There was a moment of dead silence as Roz and Kaylee waited anxiously for any response.

"You must be Roz. Where is Dobson?" A quirky voice echoed over the communication device and Roz instantly feared the gunman would hear.

"I don't know. He left the infirmary in the direction of the cargo bay."

"Okay, you stay there. Simon's on his way."

Roz nodded and instantly felt stupid, _as if Wash could see her_. She walked back to where Kaylee was laying and looking rather pale. Giving herself something to do, Roz poured a small glass of water and forced Kaylee to drink. The two women waited anxiously for any signs that the hostage situation was over. Roz began to pace after a couple more minutes and then took to poking her head out the door to see if there was a scuffle.

After her third time of staring out she felt a slight grinding of the ship and Kaylee sat straight up with only a soft moan. "Those are the cargo doors. The captain must be back."

"Oh thank God," Roz lifted her gaze up to the ceiling as if attempting to lay eyes on the Lord himself. "The Captain and Jayne'll want to know what's going on. I'll be back right quick."

Roz walked down the hallway happy that the situation involving River and Dobson would be over and that Jayne…and the crew…were back safe and sound. Just before entering the cargo bay Roz heard two sharp clangs as if something fell to the ground. Frowning, Roz rounded the corner and was shocked to see Dobson and Simon rolling on the ground throwing punches, each trying to gain the upper hand.

Roz frantically looked around and noticed neither Jayne or the Captain was on the ship. It looked as if Dobson was trying to escape and the only person keeping him at bay was Simon. Roz paled at the thought of the nice doctor standing in the way of the kidnapper and potential murderer. In the corner of the cargo bay Roz saw a huddled figure shivering on the floor. Sparing a glance at the two men Roz walked as quickly and silently as she could towards the scared girl.

"River," Roz whispered quietly. The girl's hair hung in wet clumps over her eyes as she rocked herself back and forth, muttering incoherently. "River, sweetie, your safe. Come with me."

Roz held out her hand to the girl but it was if she were invisible or else River was in her own little world. A groan of pain caused Roz to turn her head towards the brawling men. Simon had managed to grab a gun and had it pointed at Dobson. The lawman looked as if he was going to grab the other gun but Simon shook his head and barked his command. "No, don't. Don't move!"

Roz was about to let out a sigh of relief when Wash's disembodied voice echoed throughout the ship. "Reavers! Reavers incoming and headed straight for us. We are in the air in one minute."

"Could this really get any worse?" Roz groaned as she knelt next to River.

"River," Roz cooed as she pushed the young girl's hair out of her eyes. "River we need to go."

"Reavers," the girl's teeth clattered together and Roz had to fight back the urge to hold her close.

"Yes River. The Reavers are coming. We need to get to the infirmary. To Kaylee."

"Kaylee? With the wound. Nice. Too cheerful."

Despite the circumstance Roz let out a soft laugh. "Yes, she can be a bit cheerful at times. But let's get out of here."

River stood up just as Dobson looked back and sent both women a cold glare. "You gonna do that?" He asked as he turned his attention back to Simon who was holding a shaking gun. "You gonna kill a lawman in cold blood? I know what you did for your sister. I understand. It doesn't make you a killer."

Roz hugged River tight to her body and it seemed both women were keeping each other upright. As they walked slowly past the men with guns a barely conscious Shepherd Book stumbled into sight, blood dripping down the side of his face.

"Book," Roz gasped as she hurried towards the older man's side. River stood against the corridor wall glancing furtively around her. "What happened?"

"My fault," Book shook his head as if attempting to clear his mind. "I tried to help…but he hit me."

"Okay," Roz nodded furtively only half listening as she looked over her shoulder. She was more worried about getting them to safety then hearing Book's explanation.

"I don't wanna hurt anybody." Dobson continued speaking to Simon. "I have a job to do. I uphold the law, that's what we're talking about here."

Roz attempted to ignore what was going on behind her as she tried to push both River and Shepherd Book back down the hallway. River was lost once again inside her own head and Book appeared to be having a hard time speaking from the head wound.

"There's nowhere you can take her the law won't find. Nobody is going to hurt her. Unless you hurt me."

"No, I said…I said don't – don't move!"

"It's your call," Dobson replied calmly.

Roz turned frightened eyes back towards the men as she heard the panic in Simon's voice. Dobson seemed to be getting closer and closer to the gun. Roz had a crazy notion of grabbing the gun before the lawman could get to it but that would mean putting her baby at risk and she wasn't willing to do that.

"Let's go," Roz whispered vehemently towards Book and River and physically pushed them out of the cargo bay area. They would have been safely out of harm's way if it weren't for the airlock opening, effectively distracting Simon and giving Dobson the moment he needed to pick up the gun.

Dobson fired on Simon but thankfully missed. Book and River ducked down at the sound of a gunshot. Roz couldn't move so quickly for fear of landing on her belly thus making her a prime target for Dobson's new hostage. She felt a tug on the back of her shirt and found herself pressed against his front with his arm locked around her throat and a gun pointed at her temple.

"I'm not playing anymore," Dobson growled menacingly as he dug the gun farther into her skin.

Just outside the ship Roz saw three riders pull up on their horses and leap off. Jayne, Mal, and Zoe walked purposefully onto the ship as their eyes quickly assessed the situation. Roz focused on Jayne whose face paled slightly at the sight of the gun pointed at her head.

Dobson turned Roz so she was standing directly in front of him, acting as a personal shield. Roz closed her eyes tightly and prayed for her and her baby's safety.

"Anybody makes so much as a…" Dobson snarled but his sentence was quickly cut off. Roz felt Dobson's body go slack and fall backwards dragging her with him. Opening her eyes as she fell, Roz crossed her arms over her stomach protecting her unborn baby and anticipating a jarring hit. However, just before she was about to make contact with the hard floor, a pair of strong hands encased her shoulders and pulled her roughly forward. Instead of hitting the floor she found herself held against a strong chest with a pair of arms wrapped around her tightly. Breathing in deeply, she smelled a strong scent of dust, sweat, and a unique smell that only came from being on the Serenity; she knew instantly it was Jayne.

Realizing how close she came to dying, she let out a soft sob, grabbed the front of his dusty jacket, and clung to him in search of the comfort she so desperately needed. His hand brushed her back lightly up and down and his head lay gently atop her red curls.

"Jayne!" Mal shouted irritably, interrupting the oblivious couple.

"Be right there," he rumbled back. Jayne pulled away slightly, lifting her head gently to look up into his blue eyes.

"Shepherd's goin' to take you back to your room. We got Reavers comin' in. Once everythin's all right, I'll com'in get ya. _Dong ma_?"

Roz's head nodded jerkily as she felt immediately comforted by his heavy gaze. "Everything's going to be okay…right?"

"Rozalynn, I ain't gonna let nobody hurt you. That's a promise." His fierce voice sent tremors up and down her spine making her want to cling to him longer in hopes he would only continue to speak in that wonderfully low tone.

"I'll wait for you Jayne."

"That's what I wanted to hear darlin'." Jayne smirked down at her, letting his large ego edge into his voice.

"Jayne, now!"

"Come now Rozalynn, I think I need some help getting back to the bunks." Book appeared to the right of her shoulder and gently placed a hand on her arm.

"Of course Shepherd Book." She suspected he was trying to 'handle' her, but she appreciated not being treated like a fragile doll. She had just lived through a hostage situation and didn't fall completely to pieces. It was true she enjoyed the brief moment of comfort from Jayne but she could continue on because she had to. There were more pressing matters to be concerned about.

Roz let Book lead her away, along with River who Simon was attempting to comfort. She allowed herself a last glance back at Jayne who was helping Mal dump Dobson's body outside before the cargo bay doors closed shut. Roz felt Serenity rumble to life beneath her feet and quickly grabbed onto the stair rungs as the ship lifted off quickly in hopes of outrunning the dreaded Reavers.

"Shepherd Book, would you like to pray with me?" Roz asked hesitantly once they regained their footing and walked slowly down the hall.

Despite Book's haggard appearance and drooping eyes, he focused on her and tightened his hold on her arm with a small smile. "I would be honored Rozalynn." Each helping each other walk down the long corridor, they settled in comfortable silence each praying for the lives of everyone on Serenity.

**So sorry about the wait. Summer has been a lot busier than I thought it would be. Good news is there should only be one more chapter, two at the most if it gets too long. Thank you all for sticking in there with me. Let me know what you think! **


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** **I do not own Firefly or any of Joss Whedon's creations. I only own Roz and the baby she carries.**

**Warning:** **We will be entering the mind of Jayne Cobb. Please keep hands and feet inside at all times or else they could be chopped off. Not really, but Jayne's mind isn't the most…how can I put this…saintly? He is often crass but I have toned it down a bit. If it offends, please forgive, but I'm trying to keep Jayne in character without going overboard. Enjoy the final ride/chapter!**

**Chapter Ten**

Jayne watched Roz walk down the hallway with Book and for a moment desperately wished he could be the one escorting her to her rooms, but he knew the best way to protect her was by keeping watch of the Reavers and being ready to engage the enemy.

Mal was already on the move with Zoe, running up the steps toward the cockpit. Jayne focused his attention on the problem at hand. There was no way he'd allow Reavers to claim this ship. Narrowing his eyes, Jayne placed a reassuring hand on his holstered gun and raced after Mal and Zoe.

Wash was sitting in the cockpit seat; sweat glistening on his forehead and blonde hair sticking up in various angles. His hands had a tight grip on the ship's wheel, but despite the life and death situation, Wash's face was remarkably calm, the picture of a perfect pilot.

"How close are they?" Mal asked darkly, leaning over Wash to stare out the window as he watched them ascend higher into the sky and away from the planet below.

"About twenty seconds from spitting distance," Wash replied swiftly.

"Well, lose 'em!" Jayne growled, wishing he could shoot something or someone. Wash flashed Jayne a brief look of annoyance before leveling off the ship.

"Give me rear vid," Mal nodded to Zoe. She flipped a couple buttons and a picture of a ship spouting large amounts of smoke filled the screen…and they were coming up fast.

"_Ai ya women wanle." _Zoe uttered softly with a shake of her head.

"How close do they need to be to fire those grapples?" Mal asked Wash.

"C'mon, Wash, dodge 'em!" Jayne yelled while he moved his body from side to side, as if by his motions he could steer the ship himself.

"If everybody could just be quiet a moment…" Wash commented calmly but with iron in his voice. A hard veer to the right sent them all scrabbling for something to grab onto.

"I need Kaylee in the engine room please." Wash spoke as he jerked the wheel to the left this time.

"Can she even…?" Zoe asked in concern.

"Get her in there," Mal turned sharply to Jayne. "Now."

Jayne nodded and exited the cockpit quickly, nearly running over Inara in order to get to the infirmary. He didn't know what kind of state Kaylee would be in but he hoped she would be able to do whatever needed to be done.

The infirmary was packed with the doc and his _feng le_ sister, along with Kaylee, Book, and Roz. He frowned at the sight of the tiny pregnant woman. He bit back the words he wanted to use to rail against her being there. She should have been secured in her room, but after a moment of thought, the infirmary was one of the safest places in the ship and she was with people who could watch over her.

"Jayne, is everything okay?" Roz asked, her eyes wide the moment she saw him and was at his side before he could blink.

"We ain't clear yet." Jayne brushed her cheek lightly with the back of his hand, needing the small amount of comfort from her soft porcelain skin.

"Kaylee, Cap'n needs you in the engine room." Jayne moved to the girls side as she struggled to sit up.

"I can do it," Kaylee nodded resolutely.

"Absolutely not," Simon shook his head. "She could pull apart her stitches and do irreparable harm."

"Either that or be eaten by Reavers. Don't know about you Doc, but I don't rightly care to have the flesh ripped from my skin…'less of course there's a woman with a whip." Jayne winked at Roz whose whole body flushed bright red.

"You ready Lil' Kaylee?"

"Ready." Kaylee placed her hands around Jayne's neck as he placed one arm behind her back, and the other underneath her legs, gently lifting her off the hospital bed. Just as he was about to leave, Inara stalked in looking upset but trying to appear calm.

"You four. Come with me," Inara pointed to the remaining people in the infirmary.

"What's going on?" Roz asked, glancing furtively between Inara and Jayne.

"We're boarding my shuttle…just in case." Inara smiled softly, trying to comfort instead of frighten.

"I think I can help Kaylee out," Book stated as he looked to Jayne for acceptance. Jayne looked Book over, paying close attention to the scratch on the older man's head, but he appeared to be coherent. Nodding sharply he started to leave the room when he felt a small hand on his lower back.

"I can help too," Roz said desperately.

"No," Jayne responded vehemently. "Get on the shuttle."

"I thought you wouldn't give orders," Roz recoiled, hurt in her beautiful eyes.

"This ain't the time Roz. We're tryin' to save this ship from Reavers. I can't worry about where you are." Jayne looked up at the others who were staring at him in interest. "Please," Jayne gritted out between his teeth quietly.

It took a moment before Roz stepped back and nodded her head submissively. "Be careful." Inara placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed comfortingly.

"Should I…?" Simon inquired with a raised hand.

"Take her," Book nodded to River. "Keep her safe."

"Keep 'em all safe," Jayne growled, pinning the Doc with a death defying glare. "Let's go."

Carrying Kaylee was easy as she was nearly light as a feather. Jogging up the stairs, the three found themselves in the engine room not long after leaving the infirmary. Just as they entered and had set Kaylee down in the corner, the disembodied voice of Wash sounded through the room.

"Kaylee, how we doing? Gonna need a little push here."

Jayne pushed a button on the comm. to allow hands free communication. "You want me to go for full burn?" Kaylee asked weakly.

"Not just yet, but set it up."

Kaylee looked between Jayne and Book before settling on the preacher. "You know where the press regulator is?"

Book looks up and hesitates before walking a few steps and points at a panel with a questioning look.

"Head of the class," Kaylee tried to smile but the pain from her coughing turned it into a grimace. Jayne eyed her carefully as she gave Book instructions. He was worried that she was being pushed too far, but they really didn't have much of an option at the moment.

"Okay," Kaylee spoke addressing Wash. "We're ready for full burn on your mark."

There was a moment of silence as they waited for Wash's response. "Kaylee…how would you feel about pulling a Crazy Ivan?"

Kaylee thought for a moment before shrugging delicately. "Always wanted to try one. Jayne. Open the port jet control. Cut the hydraulics."

Jayne looked around the engine room, not nearly as comfortable in this room as he was elsewhere on the ship. This was Kaylee's domain. "Where the hell is…"

"Look. Look! Look where I'm pointing."

Frustrated Jayne followed her finger to a panel set just above the floor. "Okay. Now it's real simple."

Jayne looked down at the mess of wires and turned to stare blankly at Kaylee. "_Tzao Gao_."

"It'll be shiny, just listen carefully to my instructions."

Jayne focused his attention back on the wires that ran up from the ship. He felt Book's presence next to him. He would never say it aloud but him being there was comforting, the older man had a sense of peace about him that calmed Jayne.

With Book's help and Kaylee's quick and easily understood instructions they were able to fix the wires for the maneuver Wash wanted to pull. Jayne had heard the pilot over the intercom earlier calling Kaylee's name but they all ignored him, intent on working the problem. With a happy grin Kaylee yelled out they were ready.

"Everybody hold on to something," Wash commanded. Jayne grabbed onto a piece of metal that jutted out of the wall, hoping Roz and her baby were safe.

"Be ready for when Wash call's for full burn," Kaylee warned as she held on tightly. They all felt the ship turn a complete one-eighty. Jayne's muscles tensed as he waited for Wash.

"Now!"

Jayne lurched forward toward a big lever. He waited for Book to push the button before putting all weight onto the lever, pulling down hard. The combined efforts of the two men allowed for the engine to turn faster, sending Jayne scrabbling back to the wall as Serenity took off into the atmosphere, leaving the Reavers far behind.

Jayne looked around and realized that an engineer, a preacher, and a mercenary were able to work together to save the ship and her inhabitants. "Whoo! Woo-hoo!"

"We're good people." Mal's voice echoed throughout the ship. "We're out of the woods.

Jayne pumped his fist into the air and whooped and hollered. Book smiled and nodded his head in satisfaction. And Kaylee sighed, running her hand along the hull and smiling softly, "that's my girl…that's my girl."

After their joyful celebration over the defeat of the Reavers, Jayne picked up Kaylee and placed her back in the infirmary under the careful watch of the doc. Looking around for Roz, he frowned when he didn't see her.

"She's in her room," Simon said carefully as he cleaned a surgical utensil. "I suspect she's waiting for you."

Jayne supposed he should have thanked the doc but he merely grunted instead. There was something about the man that he didn't care much for and he suspected he never would. Leaving the infirmary, he stalked down the halls towards the passenger quarters. Stopping in front of her door, he wiped his sweaty palms on his pant legs before knocking on her door. He didn't know why he was so nervous but when she opened the door, the sight of her nearly took his breath away. This time he didn't think about what was proper or what anyone thought he simply needed his arms wrapped around her body.

Reaching out a large hand, he caught her arm and dragged her into his enveloping embrace. Her small hands clutched at his jacket, red curls tickled his nose as he breathed in her sweet scent. The hair she so carelessly pulled into a messy bun was instantly unraveled as his hands dug in, feeling the soft ringlets against his coarse hands.

"Jayne, I prayed you would be safe." Roz sobbed into his jacket. "That we would all be safe."

Jayne didn't know quite what to say so he chose to say nothing and only hold her tighter. His hand occasionally ventured from her hair to run up and down her spine, enjoying the shivers that racked her body due to his touch. He had to remind himself that she wasn't one of the women he carelessly used for his pleasure and threw away. She was a woman who deserved better. A home…a ring.

"What's going to happen now?" Roz asked, pulling her head far enough back to look him in the eyes. "Do I get off at the next stop?"

Jayne's hands stilled instantly, "you want to leave?"

"No…no," Roz floundered in her search for words. "I don't want to leave. For once I feel safe. That no one is going to hurt me." She flushed as she realized the danger they had just encountered only minutes before. "I know how silly that sounds, what with the Reavers and Dobson. But I meant that despite the risks, being here…with you…and everyone else…I finally feel free to be me, to be the person I was always meant to be."

Jayne stared into her eyes and wished she could continue looking at him like that for the rest of his life. The trust and care he saw could melt even his heart of ice. But he couldn't have her stay without knowing what she was getting into. His thumbs traced her eyebrows, down to the side of her face and stopped at her chin, tilting her head back even farther.

"Roz, you need to know that I ain't a nice man or even a good one. I do bad things all the time. I'm selfish, greedy, and I've killed me a lot'a men and I enjoyed it most of the times. I've had my way with a lot of women and I couldn't even tell you half their names. I don't got no kids…that I know of…and I never once thought about havin' any."

He could see her eyes growing dull and sad as he spoke, her lower lip trembled and his heart constricted at the thought of seeing tears run down her face. His hand fell to her neck, his palm resting on her pulse and felt it flutter erratically. He prepared himself for the words that would follow, effectively changing his future entirely.

"But you…" Jayne struggled for the right words to say. "You make me wanna be a better man. I wanna deserve the looks you give me. The thought of disappointin' you it…"

Jayne shook his head and took a step back, letting her slip out of his arms for fear his frustration would cause her harm. He put his hands on his hips and stalked back in forth in front of her.

"_Ai yah tien ah_," Jayne cursed under his breath. "Woman, I don't have them fancible words like that doctor, or Mal's charm, or even Wash's way with women. I know I'd die for you, and besides my momma, I wouldn't die for anyone. I hate kids, but that baby you're carryin', the thought of something happenin' to it makes me want to kill anyone who gets near you. I haven't thought of another woman since you've been on this ship and all I want to do is kiss those _jing tsai _lips.

Roz had been following him with her eyes during his entire tirade utterly speechless. She looked lost for a moment until a thought must have crossed her mind because her whole demeanor instantly changed. A small smile played on her lips as she arched an eyebrow and cocked a hip. "Well…what are you waiting for?"

Jayne nearly lost his breath at the come hither expression. His eyes darkened as they focused in on the luscious red lips that were curved into a smile. But as he stalked towards her, her lips formed an O of surprise as she realized he was the predator and she his prey. This caused Jayne to grown as he realized how much he wanted her, but tried to temper his urges because he knew she wasn't one of the whores he was used to.

"I wouldn't be a gentleman if I didn't give the lady what she wanted," Jayne's low voice purred softly and he nearly laughed as he heard her quick intake of breath. With lighting fast reflexes, Jayne's hand darted out, grabbed a handful of red curls and pulled her tightly into his arms. He was careful of the growing baby but his lips on hers were nearly punishing in their fervor. The taste of her soft lips, the feel of his hand at her neck and one possessively on her hip was enough to send him over the cliff. He had never before felt the emotions that she dredged up within him.

With a stunning amount of self-control, in which he had no idea where it came from, he broke off the embrace as quickly as it had started. He pressed her head to his chest and rested his own atop her curls, both content to hold each other, and both lost in the daydreams of their future.

"Gotta speak with the Captain before I turn in for the night. Will you be able to sleep all right?"

"I think so," Roz said, nuzzling into his chest bringing forth another muttered oath from Jayne. "But before I do, I wanted to go to the infirmary and see the doctor."

"Why? Are you hurt? Did somethin' happen? Is it the baby?" Jayne pulled back quick as a viper, running his hands impersonally over her body, looking for any signs of harm.

"No Jayne," Roz shook her head with a smile. "I've just never had the baby checked on since I didn't have the money. After all that's happened, I think it best to make sure the baby's okay."

"Right," Jayne nodded gruffly, crossing his arms over his broad chest as if he hadn't freaked out over nothing. "Well, stay in the infirmary until I come get ya. I shouldn't be long with the Captain. An' if it's all right. I'd like to know how the baby's doin'," his words getting quieter at the end until they were nearly indecipherable.

"I'd like that Jayne, it would be less scary if you were there with me," Roz responded with a hesitant smile.

Jayne simply nodded his head and escorted her to the infirmary where he gave the doc and his sister a wary look. "I'll be back right quick."

Jayne made his way to the cockpit where he knew Mal would be at the end of the day. Just as he had guessed, Mal sat at the helm staring out at the big black. He leaned against the door entrance, basking in the fact he was able to sneak up on the Captain.

"The girl's a problem," Jayne drawled, enjoying the slight tensing of Mal's shoulders before he turned in the chair to look at the mercenary.

"The lawman said they'd keep lookin' for her. Somethin' about her brain bein' all special. Important to the Alliance brass. Sooner we dump them two, the better."

"Suppose so," Mal shrugged. "What about Miss Rozalynn and the Shepherd."

"Don't rightly know 'bout the preacher but Roz stays," Jayne's voice turning ice cold.

"You givin' orders on this ship?" Mal asked with a quirk of a brow.

"Nope, but Roz stays," Jayne reiterated with a hand on his holstered gun.

Mal was silent for a moment, choosing his next words carefully. "I don't mind Roz staying. It'll be nice to eat food that actually has taste," Mal spun to the front.

Jayne grunted and turned to exit but Mal's next comment stopped him. "Funny how the lawman got out of his room. You having tied him up so well and all."

Jayne shook his head slightly. "I didn't have nothin' to do with that. Anyway it all turned out just fine. Buzzards're the only ones gonna find him…"

"But he did try to make a deal with you, right?"

Mal stared at Jayne who declined to say anything, keeping his secrets to himself for the moment while looking perfectly at home leaning against the wall.

"How come you didn't turn on me, Jayne?"

"Money wasn't good enough," Jayne finally responded.

"What happens when it is?"

Jayne smirked as he backed slowly out of the room. "Well…that'll be an interestin' day."

"Imagine it will," Mal's voice rang as Jayne walked down the hall. The thought of someday being captain of the Serenity brought a large smile to Jayne's face. Only the memory of Roz waiting for him was able to make his smile grow bigger. Surely if anyone passed him in the halls they would have thought him insane. For no one had ever seen him smile without it due to reveling in a death or spending a night with a voluptuous woman.

Jayne paused outside the infirmary as he saw the door closed. Frowning because the door was hardly ever closed, he turned the knob and looked around for Roz. A curtain was pulled across half the room and he saw movement on the other side. Striding across the room he snapped back the curtain and his jaw immediately dropped open. At first he didn't know quite what he was seeing but he knew the doctor was dead. Roz was laying down on one of the hospital beds, a white blanket covering her lower half, her feet in stirrups with the doc's head and hands beneath the covering.

"_Ta ma duh_," Jayne spat as he grabbed the doctor by the scruff of his neck, pulling him away from Roz and into a table lined with medical equipment. The sound of crashing utensils, as they fell to the floor, echoed through the room.

"Jayne, no!" Roz yelled as she struggled into a sitting position. "He's doing his job."

"By havin' his head up your skirt?" Jayne growled and shook the good doctor.

"You _ben tian sheng de yi dui rou_," the doc uttered, attempting to get away from Jayne. "Do you know what you could have done if I were operating? You could have harmed Roz and the baby. You never pull me out like that!"

"You'll not be doin' anything to her," Jayne threatened.

"She's my patient," Simon pushed at the arms still holding him.

"_Choo fay wuh sih leh_!"

"_Bi jweh_!" Roz yelled causing both men to stop their fight to look at her in shock. "Jayne, Simon is helping me. He was going to find out if the baby is a boy or a girl. Now if you would like to find out with me, come and hold my hand," Roz held out a hand in a silent entreaty.

With a last growl for Simon, Jayne dropped the doctor and came to stand by Roz who visibly relaxed against the pillow and happily grabbed his hand. It took a moment for Simon to ready himself once more and get his medical equipment ready. With a hesitant look at Jayne, Simon pulled up her shirt and placed a paddle on her stomach attached to a screen he held in his hand.

The sight of her protruding stomach didn't repulse him like he thought it would. It only made him want her more. Seeing his momma pregnant more often than naught, he had a lot of experience with kids, but it was still mind boggling to realize there was a living thing inside her body. He wanted to make sure the baby was protected at all times. The problem was, there were so many bad people out there in the world, him included. _How could he protect it from the whole world?_

"As I already told Roz, she's about twenty-nine weeks along, which is longer than I would like for someone to go without being checked up. But her and the baby seem to be doing well." Simon smiled as he looked into Roz's cheerful and hopeful face. "You want to know what the sex of the baby is?"

Roz nodded and squeezed Jayne's hand for comfort. "Guess we'll have to start thinking of baby names." Jayne smiled softly when he heard her say "we", as if he would have some input.

"Congratulations Roz, you're going to be having a healthy baby…"

**Ha Ha Ha (Mine is an evil laugh!) So I ended the first book with a cliffy. I know, you may throw lettuce and tomatoes at me if you must, but I would prefer chocolates and flowers. We've finally reached the end of this story. Once I get my Harry Potter story up and running, I'll begin working on the sequel. **

**This gives you the opportunity to tell me if you think the baby should be a boy or girl and what names you like. I have a poll up on my profile page, please vote for boy or girl. Whoever wins, I'll put up some names and you can vote on those. **

**Thanks for faithfully following this story. This was my first foray into writing with a Christian perspective and I found I really loved it mostly because it comes from having a heart for God. Please leave me a review or PM me because I love hearing from all of you.**

**Thanks so much! **


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